NEW DELHI: In a move to empower women in taking sole ownership of the flats provided in in-situ rehabilitation schemes, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has suggested that the housing allotment policy in such schemes should be revised to allow single women to become an allottee.
The recommendation has been sent to the Union Ministry of Urban and Housing Affairs for approval and notification included in the Masterplan of Delhi 2041 the authority cleared on Tuesday. Officials said the move was taken in view of the observations noted during the allotment of flats under the Kalkaji rehabilitation scheme. The authority found that in a number of cases, only female spouses were occupying Jhuggi Jhopdi while the male spouses were reported to be missing, deserted, or dead.
Such female beneficiaries were denied the allotment since they don’t possess the legal documents to validate the decree of divorce, death certificate, or any declaration of a missing person by the competent authority or court, they added. The policy of DDA stipulates that allotment of flats (in rehabilitation schemes) has to be made in the joint name of husband and wife even though the allottee may be a male spouse.
“Need was felt to relax this condition so that benefits of in-Situ Rehabilitation Scheme are not denied to genuine female beneficiaries so it was decided that possession letter may be issued in the single name of women spouse occupying the jhuggi in such cases,” an official said.