New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) seems to have learnt from its past mistakes and has promised to offer only ready to move in flats in its future projects.

The DDA will soon launch its new 2014 housing scheme.

The authority had faced a lot of criticism for providing incomplete flats that lacked even basic facilities like water and power in its 2010 housing scheme.

In the 2010 scheme, the DDA had offered 16,000 flats across the capital but most of them were still in different stages of completion till as late as 2013. Even now, many flats in areas such as Vasant Kunj D-6 and Mukherjee Nagar are still not fit to be occupied.

“Usually, many flats are included in our housing schemes that are not complete exactly at the time when the scheme is launched. However, since the process of allotting the flats takes up substantial time, they are completed during that period,” said a senior DDA official who didn’t wish to be named.

“In the 2010 housing scheme, we faced a lot of difficulties in completing the projects due to various reasons, including manpower shortage and not finding contractors,” the official said.

The DDA says the mistake will not be replicated this time. “Even though we have a large number of flats that are under various stages of construction right now, we would only include those flats in the scheme that are completely constructed and have every amenity in place,” the official said.

This is one reason why the DDA is yet to provide details on exactly how many flats will be part of its 2014 housing scheme announced on December 31 last year.

“When I was allotted a DDA flat in the lottery, I thought my dream has come true. The experience, however, has been a nightmare till now,” said an allottee of a flat in Vasant Kunj.

“Despite paying the full amount, we got flats that were not liveable at all. There was no power or water connection. We had to climb seven storeys because there was no power to operate the lifts,” he said.

SOURCE:http://paper.hindustantimes.com/