BENGALURU: To ensure transparency and ease of booking Bangalore Development Authority flats, the entire process is set to go online shortly. Viewing all available flats, making the initial payment, identity documents, the final payment, and submission and collection of documents can all be carried out much faster now. BDA Secretary Vasanthi Amar told TNIE, “This is the first time that we are taking the entire process online. From January 1, 2021, people won’t have to visit the BDA office to carry out any transaction.”
Public Relations Officer L P Gireesha said, “Almost 99% of the work in connection with our online process has been completed. It is likely to be in place by December 15 itself, and will officially be made online on January 1. A separate portal www.bdahousing.org is being created only for this purpose, and will be linked with our official website.”
While auctioning of BDA sites has gone completely online, that of flats has lagged behind. The only big move initiated in recent years was an ‘Across the Table’ scheme to sell its flats, started on August 11, 2017. However, this did not take off in a big way as expected, with 1,745 out of 3,225 flats still unsold, as per statistics given by BDA in September.
Flats in three phases of Kanminike, two phases each in Komaghatta and Doddabanahalli, dominate those that are yet to be sold, with their distance from the city stated to be a major factor.Payment would be accepted initially only through RTGS and NEFT, when the online process kicks off, but one year down the line, online wallets would be allowed, he added. Making trips between BDA and banks in connection with various requirements can be done away with, Gireesha said.
The other big advantage for the purchaser would be that in case anyone surrenders a flat after making the initial payment, it would be displayed immediately. At present, people visit the flat allotment section and get details regarding vacant flats.