For a majority of the people who had come to inspect the latest housing scheme by the Delhi Development Authority at the under-construction site in Vasant Kunj here, the affordability of flats was the talking point.
The DDA’s 2019 housing scheme has on offer 17,922 dwelling units in two locations — Vasant Kunj and Narela.
However, much of the people are interested in the Vasant Kunj housing complex where 1,288 flats are on offer due to its location.
DDA officials said that under the new housing scheme, the urban body has received 3,500 applications, since it began in March 25, where the booking amount has already been paid. The scheme will be open till May 10.
Too pricey
But, for many prospective buyers who visited the Vasant Kunj site, their dream of owning a DDA flat has been tested owing to varied issues, primary amongst them is the price of the houses.
Nilesh, who works in a private sector company in the city, and his wife had come to inspect the flats before making monetary commitments towards submission of application. He has been living in a rented flat in the Capital and is looking to get a stable accommodation, preferably an LIG (lower income group) flat, for his family. “I like the flat but the price is exorbitant,†Mr. Nilesh said.
“MIG flat thoda thik hai, magar LIG wala thik nahi hai [the MIG flat is decent, but not the LIG ones],†Mr. Nilesh added. Interrupting him, his wife, pointing at the MIG and LIG sample flats, observed: “Wall wagerah aachi nahi hai. Kitchen tile bhi aachi nahi hai. [Neither the walls nor the kitchen tiles are nice].â€
DDA’s brochure says that the property is being offered on “as is where basis isâ€. Also, it will not entertain a complaint about the cost of flat, its design, the quality of material used, workmanship or any other defect.
Mr. Nilesh said he has changed his mind on applying for the flat now that he has seen it.
Winning two flats in the previous DDA housing scheme in Rohini, only to return them due to “tiny roomsâ€, Kundan Rawat wanted to be sure before he makes another monetary commitment in this year’s housing scheme.
Failed precedent
After a thorough inspection of the LIG and MIG sample flats, Mr. Rawat said that the flats are pricey. “It is almost market rate,†he said pointing at the ₹48 lakh price tag on the LIG 1 BHK (one-bedroom-hall-kitchen) sample flat door.
“But it is easy to get loan for the DDA scheme houses,†Mr. Rawat added.
A study done by the National Sample Survey had revealed that over 28% of people in the Capital were living in rented dwelling in 2011, which was way below the national average of 13%. Despite this, a majority of the winners of the 2014 DDA housing scheme returned their flats citing small size of the rooms.
“Under the previous scheme, buyers had raised issues over the size of the LIG flats provided. To ensure that similar problems do not exist under the new scheme, the size of bedrooms in the LIG flats has been increased,†a senior DDA official said.
“Around 1,900 flats out of a total of 3,500 have been booked under the previous scheme which is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Interested buyers can book the flats online and make the subsequent payments. The portal will remain available till the inventory lasts,†said the DDA official.
These are the flats the buyers had returned under previous schemes citing size issues. The DDA official said that the online portal for flats put on sale under the previous scheme, is also open simultaneously.
S.C. Rawal, who is looking to apply for a HIG (high income group) flat for his daughter, saw good value in the DDA flats particularly because of their location in Vasant Kunj. “Though the prices are comparable to market rate, but considering the space and location there is value,†Mr. Rawal said.
Why just online?
Already residing in a south Delhi locality, Mr. Rawal wants the new house to be in the south Delhi area only. He, however, suggested that the DDA should have made provision for people to apply for the flats through online and offline mode.
“Not all people are well acquainted with computers. If for a person applying for an LIG flat, something goes wrong during the online payment process, where will he or she manage another one lakh?†Mr. Rawat asked adding, “in the interest of general public, the application method should be both offline and onlineâ€.
In his early 60s, Subhash was struggling to make a video of the LIG sample flat when he offered to give an account of the Janta flats in Narela, which he visited earlier this week.
Janta flats
Praising the Janta flats in Narela, also a DDA project, Mr. Subhash said, “Woh badhiya hai. Waha pe metro bhi aayegi. Abhi jungle hai aas pass, us hisab se price jyada hai [they are great. Metro is also scheduled to come there. There is forest area nearby, considering which the price is high]â€.
Mr. Subhash, a resident of Rohini, has a small family of wife and two daughters — both married. He is looking for a small flat for the “miyan biwi [husband-wife]â€. He too felt that the price for the LIG flats in Vasant Kunj was steep.
Hope crushed
For Najafgarh resident Jai Bhagwan, his hope of owing an LIG flat under the scheme got crushed after a visit to the sample flats in Vasant Kunj. “Look at the size of the room. They are tiny,†Mr. Bhagwan said adding, “even after giving ₹45 lakh, there is no space to even sitâ€.
He was not happy with the price of the LIG flats either. “LIG ka misuse ho raha hai [they are misusing the LIG definition],†Mr. Bhagwan said. “How would a low income person afford a ₹45 lakh flat? Do DDA even know the definition of LIG,†he remarked adding that he was not going to apply for the LIG flats.
Pawan Kumar, a government sector employee, too concurred that the price could have been lower. He, however, had other issues in mind like the jhuggi jhopri cluster adjacent to the location of the Vasant Kunj flats.
DDA on pricing
“The price of the flats have been fixed after taking into account various factors including the cost of land, construction and labour. It is not something arbitrary and has been approved by the authority,†the DDA official said.
The DDA commenced its housing activities in 1967 and has played a crucial role in providing houses to the people of Delhi. Its website said it has been constructing houses in Delhi according to the requirements and purchasing capacity of different strata of society.