Signature View: DDA issues vacating SOPs, rent start date still unclear

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has issued a draft of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to the residents of Signature View apartments in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar mentioning details for vacating and handing over the flats for dismantling.

The Signature View towers were declared unfit for habitation by an IIT Delhi report in November 2022, following which lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena had asked DDA to demolish and reconstruct the flats.

The SOPs, however, do not mention the date from when the residents will get the rent to move in a temporary accommodation. “The purpose of this circular is to outline the SOPs so that we are able to determine the date of vacation of flats. The starting of rent and other details will be as per the court order, which will also be intimated soon,” a DDA official said in the meeting, which also included representatives of residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).

The SOPs mention that a resident or owner who has already vacated the flat must hand over the flat to the site engineer. Electricity and water connection will be discontinued from the same day. Residents said that around 150 families have already moved out.

For those who are yet to vacate, the SOPs stated that they must ensure a “notice period” by giving written intimation to the engineering department of DDA as well as housing management so that timely taking over of flats can be done.

Officials said that after the flats are handed over, DDA will verify the application and ensure that all dues, including electricity and water connection and other outstanding payments are cleared and NOCs from respective departments are given.

Residents, however, said that they are worried about receiving the rent as not many people can afford to shift out without assurance of when they will be getting the rent from the authority, which has been a bone of contention between the two parties. DDA had earlier said that it will start transferring the rent only when all flats are vacated. However, the high court order in January said that rent for those who have shifted must be started immediately.

“The draft SOP talks about the procedure for vacating and handing over flats but does not mention anything on the start of rent for those who have already vacated and does not mention when the rent will start. In this entire process, there are families who shifted out over a year ago and are facing huge financial burden. Not all families can manage that,” Gaurav Pandey, secretary general of Signature View RWA, said.

The Signature View apartments, built over 2.16 acres, were launched in 2007 and the possession of flats started in 2012. The premises have 12 towers of 12 and six floors, with a total of 336 high-income group and medium-income group flats.