Applicants rue lack of transparency

They had gathered in thousands to watch the draw of lots that would give them a 'dream home' in the Capital

Applicants rue lack of transparency

They had gathered in thousands to watch the draw of lots that would give them a 'dream home' in the Capital. But they were neither allowed inside the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC) to watch the draw happen nor were any screens installed outside (as the authorities had promised) to enable them to see how the process was going on. No wonder, many of them complained about lack of transparencyu00a0 in the whole process.

Wait is over: People outside C-DAC in Noida where a draw of lots for
DDA Housing Scheme-2010 was held on Monday. PIC/Subhash Barolia

The much-awaited draw of lots for 16,000 flats offered by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for which 7.53 lakh applicants had applied was held on Monday at the office of C-DAC in sector 62, Noida. Two battalions of PAC were deployed at the venue as DDA officials restricted the entry of the applicants "The DDA had not even announced that it will hold a draw. When we came to know of it and somehow managed to reach this place, we were kept out.

There were more police officials than applicants there. The draw didn't seem to happen in favour of general public. After last time's experience, when allegations of irregularities had cropped up, this draw should have been made more transparent. Instead, it was shrouded in secrecy. One fails to understand why," said Arun Yadav, an applicant.

"I was very disappointed by the way DDA managed it. I thought they would televise it on the screens that were to be placed outside the office as they had said to maintain the transparency in the whole process but nothing of that sort happened. They seem to be taking the general public for a ride once again," said Sandeep Goyal another applicant.

Husband-wife duo Rakesh and Shilpi Gupta tried to take the Internet route to get information on the draw but they too faced disappointment. "We got to know from the DDA officials that information about the draw was place on their website but when we checked, there was nothing there. In fact the site seemed to have crashed," said they.

"It was the first time that both husband and wife were allowed to apply with the condition that the flat will be allotted to only one in case both the applicants were successful. An allotment letter will be issued within next 15 days to all the successful allottee after which they will be asked to come to the DDA office with original documents for verification," said a DDA official.