Ghaziabad: It was a day of massive traffic jam on Hapur Road as thousands of people gathered at the office of Ghaziabad Development Authority to purchase and submit survey forms for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The situation got aggravated as hundred others landed up at the government girls' college in Navyug Market, near the GDA office, for filing nomination papers for municipal polls.
Vehicles moved at snail's pace from 11 am to 3 pm on a stretch of road, approximately 4 km long covering two flyovers, between the collectorate and the Thakurdwara flyover. However, those who had gathered to purchase the forms had no idea about the housing scheme meant exclusively for economically weaker sections.
"We stood in a queue for more than four hours and purchased three forms. We came after we learnt that houses were being allotted after purchasing forms for Rs 50 each," said Manav, a daily wager from Vasundhara.
There were no signs of traffic cops on the spot. The traffic department later said that though cops were stationed, they were few in number. "The jam was also due to the fact that a number of vehicles avoided the road in front of the GDA and travelled straight ahead on the flyover till Seth Mukandlal College crossing to take U-turns there and return. We will check if additional forces will be required on Tuesday," SP (traffic) SN Singh told TOI.
The jam is expected to occur again on Tuesday as form sales and nomination filing will take place simultaneously yet again.
Certain social media posts alleged the sale of cheap housing forms in the run-up to urban local body elections as amounting to violation of model code of conduct. However, there was no report of any formal complaint in this regard with the authorities till evening.
District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari, who is also the acting vice-chairperson of GDA, told TOI that sale of survey forms had commenced on October 18, before polls were notified, and will continue till November 10.
"Surveys are being conducted across the country at present for the Central government housing scheme by various development authorities to ascertain the extent of demand for houses by EWS persons. The GDA has fixed its own time period for conducting the survey following which allotment forms will be sold for 9,500 flats to be sold at subsidized rates. At present, we are not handing out allotments of cheap flats and hence it does not amount to violation of the model code," Maheshwari told TOI.
Vehicles moved at snail's pace from 11 am to 3 pm on a stretch of road, approximately 4 km long covering two flyovers, between the collectorate and the Thakurdwara flyover. However, those who had gathered to purchase the forms had no idea about the housing scheme meant exclusively for economically weaker sections.
"We stood in a queue for more than four hours and purchased three forms. We came after we learnt that houses were being allotted after purchasing forms for Rs 50 each," said Manav, a daily wager from Vasundhara.
There were no signs of traffic cops on the spot. The traffic department later said that though cops were stationed, they were few in number. "The jam was also due to the fact that a number of vehicles avoided the road in front of the GDA and travelled straight ahead on the flyover till Seth Mukandlal College crossing to take U-turns there and return. We will check if additional forces will be required on Tuesday," SP (traffic) SN Singh told TOI.
The jam is expected to occur again on Tuesday as form sales and nomination filing will take place simultaneously yet again.
Certain social media posts alleged the sale of cheap housing forms in the run-up to urban local body elections as amounting to violation of model code of conduct. However, there was no report of any formal complaint in this regard with the authorities till evening.
District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari, who is also the acting vice-chairperson of GDA, told TOI that sale of survey forms had commenced on October 18, before polls were notified, and will continue till November 10.
"Surveys are being conducted across the country at present for the Central government housing scheme by various development authorities to ascertain the extent of demand for houses by EWS persons. The GDA has fixed its own time period for conducting the survey following which allotment forms will be sold for 9,500 flats to be sold at subsidized rates. At present, we are not handing out allotments of cheap flats and hence it does not amount to violation of the model code," Maheshwari told TOI.
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