DDA to soon offer 500 bigger flats in Narela by combining two apartments
A SENIOR DDA OFFICIAL SAID A PROPOSAL TO AMALGAMATE THE FLATS IS IN CONSIDERATION TO ADDRESS SPACE ISSUE
NEW DELHI : Unable to sell flats, mostly in the Low Income Group (LIG) category in Narela, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is planning to modify the design of the flats by combining two flats into one. The land-owning agency plans to put close to 500 flats on sale soon to assess public response, said a senior DDA official.
In March this year, the DDA had put on sale 18,000 flats, located in Narela and Vasant Kunj, in its housing scheme of 2019. But due to poor response from public, the DDA could sell only 8,438 flats in July.
In less than two months, close to 5,000 flats (out of 8,438), mostly in Narela, have been returned by the allottees.
“We will take up entire building where all the flats are available and offer it to people. People can either buy two flats and combine them or we can also do it for them. DDA will prepare a standard plan for amalgamation of flats,” said DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor.
To address the problem of smaller flat size, a senior DDA official said a proposal to amalgamate the flats is in active consideration. “We plan to amalgamate 1,000 LIG flats and put the modified flats on sale. We will first assess the public response and accordingly amalgamate more flats. A proposal in this regard will be tabled in the authority meeting soon,” said a senior DDA official, requesting anonymity.
According to senior DDA officials, the small size of the flats and lack of transport connectivity to Narela are some of the main reasons cited by allottees while surrendering the flats.
DDA has put 1,000 MIG flats on sale in Narela of which a large number of flats have been returned by the allottees. DDA is planning to give the MIG flats to Delhi police and paramilitary forces, said a senior official.
With close to Rs 2,500-3,000 crore parked in various housing projects in Narela, the DDA is looking for ways to recover the money. The official said another proposal to float a scheme to give flats to serving government employees on concessional rate is also under consideration. “In 2004, we had come out with a scheme to give flats to government employees on a concession. We are planning to come out with a similar scheme. But a final decision will be taken in authority meeting,” said the official.
As for connectivity, Union housing and urban development minister Hardeep Singh Puri had recently said that the Rithala to Narela-bawana corridor, one of the six corridors in Metro’s Phase IV project, is likely to get approval soon.