DDA website crashes post housing scheme launch

The official website of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Monday crashed following a massive online response from people soon after the launch of its flagship 'Housing Scheme 2014' that offers over 25,000 flats.

"Soon after the launch, we received over 5 lakh hits on our official website, following which it has crashed. Efforts are on to restore the service," a senior DDA official said.

The urban body on Monday launched its much-awaited 'Housing Scheme 2014' at the Vikas Sadan, its headquarters in the national capital, as locals and people from neighboring states stood in long queues to buy the application form.

For 53-year-old MS Bisht, who hails from Nainital but has been a long-time resident of New Delhi, is hoping to be "lucky this time".

"I have applied three times for DDA flats but all in vain so far. I am hoping to be lucky this time," Bisht, who lives in RK Puram in a government flat, said as he stood in the queue.

Mukesh Kumar (52), another applicant who came from Meerut to buy the form on the very first day, said, "I want to return to Delhi."

"I used to live in Delhi on rent but then there were some problems and I had to shift to Meerut. Now, I wish to return as my children are settled," he said.

70-year-old VS Tripathi, who retired as an officer in the defence department, is also keeping his fingers crossed this time as his previous bids to get a DDA flat have been unsuccessful.

"I hail from Kanpur and I have always wanted a DDA flat but no success so far," he said.

For housewife Babita from Moti Bagh area, who hails from Bihar, a house in Delhi means "a step towards a prosperous future".

"Growth is happening in big cities and therefore, we are seeking future for us in cities like Delhi. No development is taking in small towns, what options do we have," she said.

The 2014 scheme offers flats ranging from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore across categories - EWS, LIG, MIG, HIG, Janta flats and one-room apartments.

"We are offering 25,034 flats in the scheme, out of which 22,627 are one-bed room apartments," Balvinder Kumar, Vice-Chairman, DDA, said.

DDA for the first time has introduced a five-year lock-in period for ownership of the flats, to cut out middlemen and reduce the scope of speculative buying.

"After five years, the DDA will formally execute a conveyance deed in their favour," the DDA official said.

The urban body had also, for the first time, proposed a 80-20 quota in this scheme, but that proposal which sought to offer 80 per cent flats to Delhi residents has been scrapped.

DDA is offering 700 flats for EWS category, which are part of the housing complex at Swatantra Bharat Mills premises on Rohtak Road. The flats have been developed by a private builder as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the DDA and the builder.

The EWS flats priced from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 11 lakh, the urban body said.

Over 800 old flats located under different categories are also being offered, on account of them being cancelled or surrendered.

These flats (older) consists of 21 HIG flats, 49 MIG, 451 LIG, 129 expendable and 161 Janta flats. The cost ranges from Rs 1.2 crore for HIG flats to Rs 5.4 lakh for Janta flats, the DDA said.

The DDA had earlier said that the total number of flats on offer was over 26,000 but on Monday said the figure has been revised to over 25,000.

For the first time, DDA has also decided to do away with attachments along with the application forms and now only a photocopy of PAN card would be needed for the new one-page form, Kumar said.

There is no income limit on one-bedroom apartments and any eligible candidate can apply. For EWS category, there will also be an option to pay the cost of the flats in instalments, she added.

Any Indian citizen, 18 years of age and above on the date of filing of the application for the flats is eligible for the scheme.

"In its last scheme, 'DDA Housing Scheme 2010', there were 11 lakh applications for 15,000 flats," a DDA spokesperson said, adding, "To curb black-marketing of forms, we have restricted the number of purchase to only two for each buyer".