Low-cost flats ready, housing board is not

About 1,700 low-cost flats are ready and 1,800 more are near completion, but Mumbaiites may have to wait till the year-end to apply for them.

About 1,700 low-cost flats are ready and 1,800 more are near completion, but Mumbaiites may have to wait till the year-end to apply for them.

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Earlier the state housing board was to invite the applications for its 3,500 flats in August, but now it will do so in December for two reasons.

Firstly, the election code of conduct is expected to come into force within a fortnight. Secondly, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) is not yet prepared to invite applications.

Amarjeet Singh Manhas, president, Mhada (Mumbai Board) has blamed the delay on the new online system which will be used to invite applications. “Officials are working on the new system but we have been assured that the lottery would conducted before the end of the year,” said Manhas.

He added that the lottery system would be conducted only after the Assembly elections.

A state housing board member belonging to the Congress party, who did not want to be identified for protocol reasons, said if the process would have be started before the polls, it would have helped the ruling combine.

On Monday, the state housing board passed a proposal to construct 1,851 more flats in areas such as Malvani, Charkop, Kandivli, Mulund and Chembur.

These flats would be completed within two years and allotted through the lottery system.