Demonetisation effect: DDA delays allotment of flats

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses on the importance of cashless economy, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) seems to delay its project and applicants for the flats will have to wait for the DDA, as it appears, doesn't have foolproof online payment methods.

With 13,000 flats waiting to be handed over to successful applicants, the DDA should have given them in January or February at the latest. However, as the banks are currently busy with the demonetisation exercise, the DDA has been forced to delay the handover process.

"The allotment process of DDA flats go through banking channels. But the banks are busy with demonetisation. So we have decided to extend the process of allotment and no date has been finalised yet," said DDA public relations commissioner D Sarkar. While the there's much talk about cashless economy, DDA is yet to opt for online payment methods or swipe machines that can be used for debit and credit cards.

Another DDA official said there are several reasons behind the delay in allotment - the primary being dependence on old-fashioned payment methods and over dependency on banks. The decision to delay the allotment has had another collateral impact. Brochures are unavailable and advertisement materials are being printed to promote the DDA projects.

These flats are located in Sarita Vihar, Jasola, Dwarka, Pitampura, Sukhdev Vihar, Narela, Rohini, Dilshad Garden, Paschim Vihar and Mukherjee Nagar among other places.

Most flats made available for allotment are quite a few years old. Under the 2014 scheme, these flats were either surrendered or the allotment was cancelled. According to an estimate, about 30,000 applications were made to the DDA through banks for flats under the 2014 scheme. However, several of these flats were rejected by applicants due to lack of basic amenities and poor quality of construction. DDA had also changed a few rules, with a five-year lock-in during which the flat could not be sold. The lock-in period was another reason for which many flats were surrendered.

DDA is now focusing on improving the quality of these flats that were surrendered by applicants.