Delhi housing scheme: DDA to launch new offer in 2018 with 21,000 flats

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will launch a new housing scheme offering 21,000 flats of different categories around July next year.

The land-owning agency’s principal commissioner (housing), JP Agarwal, made this announcement soon after the draw of lots for the 2017 housing scheme was held at Vikas Sadan, DDA’s headquarters at INA.

“All flats have been allotted. No unit is left. But unsuccessful applicants should not be disappointed because the DDA will offer new and better flats under the fresh scheme next year. We are constructing 81,000 flats in different categories — lower-income group (LIG), middle-income group (MIG), higher-income group (HIG) and EWS — and 21, 000 of them will be ready next year,” he said.

The construction of the flats located in Narela, Dwarka, Rohini, Vasant Kunj and Jasola is likely to be completed by March 2018. The next scheme will be rolled out after completing all formalities and allotment of the present offer.

The prices have not been fixed yet, Agrawal said.

Thursday’s draw of flats was conducted under the supervision of a panel of independent judges consisting of former Delhi high court justice SN Agrawal, Delhi IIT professor Kolin Paul, and Vishnu Chandra, Deputy Director General of National Informatics Centre.

The scheme was launched on June 30 this year for which the land-owning agency had received 46, 080 applications. The scheme was closed on September 11.

The DDA sold 90,000 forms for the scheme, of which 46,182 people applied.

Computerised draw

The DDA had sourced all hardware, software, and database administrator support from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDEC).

The draw was streamed live on http://webcast.gov.in/dda but many several hopeful thronged the DDA headquarters early morning.

The computerised draw was held using a method called the random number indicated technique. The complete draw process comprising three stages took almost three hours.

First, the data of all applicants and flats were randomised and then the judges and mediapersons picked the seed number (0-9) from containers for both the applicants and flats.

The seed number decides the starting positions from where a computer starts the draw of lots.

A number for the applicants and one for the flats are fed in the system. For the software to begin the lottery on Thursday, the numbers 29040 for applicants and 03180 for flats were selected.

The first flat – an HIG unit in Rohini – was allotted to one Pradeep Kumar. “I am delighted. My two daughters will now have a house of their own in Delhi,” said Kumar, an electrician.

After allocating the first unit, the system mapped other applicants and the allotment of flats was made.

“The system first allots units to specially abled persons. They were given ground floor flats after which the remaining units are allotted to other categories based on choices of localities of applicants and reserved categories,” said Agarwal.