DDA schemes have a history of irregularities

This is not the first time that a housing scheme of the Delhi Development Authority has been mired in controversy.Nine years ago, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police had unearthed similar irregularities, reports Vijaita Singh.

This is not the first time that a housing scheme of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been mired in controversy.

HT Image

Nine years ago, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police had unearthed similar irregularities — like the one that has come to light in the 2008 scheme. Subsequent investigations resulted in eight officials, including a financial advisor of the agency, being arrested. More than 20 property dealers and bank officials were held in the case.

On November 11, 2000, the then director (Housing) Amar Chatterjee had registered a complaint with the EOW regarding irregularities in the allotment of flats under the Self Financing Scheme (SFS), 1999. HT is in possession of at least 10 FIRs lodged in the case between 2000 and 2002. Under the scheme, the DDA was selling flats to allottees who had applied before 1996 at the “original price”. The draw for these flats at locations like Jasola, Vasant Kunj and Dwarka were held in the mid 1980s.

The FIR states that property dealers had connived with DDA officials and forged signatures of original allottees, prepared forged Special Power of Attorney and got the property transferred in their names. The EOW had seized 99 files from the SFS branch of DDA. In all the files, the signatures and addresses of original allottees varied.

Police said the property dealers were planning to sell the flats in the gray market. “The involvement of staff of the housing department, accounts wing, management wing and property dealers is very clear,” says the FIR.

The DDA officials who were arrested were upper division clerk J.P. Sharma, accounts officer J.P. Gupta, assistant director S.C. Chugh, accounts officer H.R. Sharma, financial advisor (housing) V.D. Nanda, assistant accounts director Mahender Kumar and assistant accounts officer Dinesh Manocha. The case is under trial and the accused are presently out on bail.