DDA's last amnesty

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 30.

Issuing a strong warning to habitual defaulters, the Delhi Development Authority has decided to initiate ``punitive action'' including ``eviction from houses and civil imprisonment'', against, DDA allottees who fail to clear their dues during the month-long amnesty scheme beginning October 1.

Under this scheme, sixth in the past seven years, the DDA has urged the 74,000 defaulters, from whom it has to recover a whooping Rs. 800 crores, to clear their dues at a reduced penalty rate of 13 per cent per annum by October 31.

Asserting that this was the last such opportunity being given to the defaulters the DDA Vice-Chairman, Mr. P.K. Hota, said: ``We are going to be very strict this time. We have to be tough with habitual defaulters.'' The five early amnesty schemes -- in 1995, 96, 97, 98 and 99 -- had failed miserably to achieve their objective.

Mr. Hota said those DDA allottees who are found to be defaulters even after October, strong action would be initiated. These include ``eviction from houses'' and can also lead to ``civil imprisonment'', he said. ``There has to be distinction between hardship and mischief''.

According to Mr. Hota, the DDA has made an elaborate plans to organises public awareness camps in various parts of the Capital. ``Area-wise contact programmes would be held by the DDA officers from the first week of October,'' he said.

Mr. Hota said the DDA had given approval for the ``New Penalty Relief Scheme'' only on condition there would be no further amnesty scheme and it would launch simultaneous punitive action against defaulters.

Mr. Hota said that it would be applicable to the General Housing Schemes, New Pattern Residential Scheme-1979, Retiring Personnel Scheme, Ambedkar Awaas Yojana, Janata-1996 Scheme, Semi-cash down and Expandable Housing Schemes of 1995 and 1996. So far the DDA has allotted about 2.38 lakh flats under the various schemes, of which as many as 1.7 lakhs were on hire-purchase basis.

Of these 1.7 lakh allottees, about 74,000 are defaulters, despite DDA coming out with as many as five amnesty schemes. While the defaulters owe DDA Rs. 200 crores on account of non-payment of their monthly installments, they need to pay Rs. 590 crores as penalty.

Under flats on the hire-purchase basis, allottees are required to deposit the initial amount consisting of full land premium and 30 per cent of construction cost. The balance is recovered over a period of 10, 12 and 15 years from the allottee of MIG (Middle Income Group), LIG (Low Income Group) and Janta flats respectively.

As per the original terms and conditions of allotment on a hire- purchase basis, the allottee is required to pay a penalty at 12 per cent or Rs. 2 for the first month, 24 per cent or Rs 5 for the second month and 48 per cent or Rs. 10 for the third and subsequent months. This means that the allottees are required to make a penalty of 48 per cent for third and subsequent months.

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