DDA allottees transfering plots

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 20. Original allottees of Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) industrial and institutional plots and buildings are causing losses in crores to it by subletting or transferring or selling their properties to third parties.

Though the allottees of these categories of land and building are obliged to pay a charge at the rate of Re. 1 per square feet to the DDA if they rent out or transfer or sell to third parties, they are appropriating whole earnings on these properties for themselves.

This misuse of DDA's properties has been continuing for years and has deprived the DDA of crores of rupees which it could have earned as charging from the original allottees for altering the nature of use of plots or buildings.

This has now been brought to the notice of the Delhi High Court through a public interest litigation by the Vidhichetna, a non- governmental organisation, seeking direction to the DDA to initiate legal action, including cancellation of allotments and recovery of money illegally collected by the allottees.

A Division Bench comprising Mr. Justice Anil Dev Singh and Mr. Justice M.K. Sharma has issued notices to DDA for January 18.

Even by a conservative estimate, DDA was suffering a loss of approximately Rs. 100 crores per year due to these clandestine deals. Surprisingly, the DDA did not have any information in its possession on these deals though it was a open secret, the petitioner alleged.

In fact, DDA had not evolved any clear cut policy on transfer or sale of industrial and institutional plots and buildings; hence all transfers and sublettings went unrecorded, the PIL said.

As of now, DDA had allotted about 25,000 industrial plots and 15,000 institutional plots. It was provided in the lease agreement itself that if the alottee transferred the land or building to a third party he would have to pay a part of premium to DDA. Besides, prior permission from DDA is essential in all such cases.

According to the DDA guidelines, in case of transfer, sub-letting or sale of such plots, the allottees would have to pay DDA at the rate of Re. 1 for per square feet, the PIL said.

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