NEW DELHI: After 20 years, the original allottees of flats under Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme (RGHS) in Bawana and Narela areas will get their promised accommodation as Delhi L-G VK Saxena approved the uniform draft lease deed for the scheme, officials from Raj Niwas said Thursday.
Saxena has expressed concern over the delay of more than two decades in the finalisation of lease deeds for the allotment of flats to the beneficiaries, they said.
The officials said the move is aimed at providing affordable housing to industrial workers, a promise made nearly two decades ago but delayed due to administrative hurdles. A total of 5,311 allottees are likely to be benefitted from the execution of the lease deeds.
However, while approving the uniform draft lease deed, Saxena slammed the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and noted on file that it was “baffling to observe that even after a lapse of about two decades since the initiation of the first housing scheme in 2003-2004, the lease format is yet to be finalised.
The Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme -- RGHS-I and RGHS-II -- were initiated in 2003-04 and 2006-07, but the draft lease deed to be executed for allotment of flats reached the Lt Governor for his approval in January 2024, officials said.
He said that it is disturbing to note that despite explicit instructions of his predecessor in 2019 to explain the reason for delay in execution of lease deeds in respect of workers’ housing schemes, the DSIIDC went on to cause another inexplicable delay of approx 5 years before placing the matter for finalisation of the lease deed.
Officials said that specific direction has been given by Saxena that no further delay should be allowed in the matter and the entire exercise of execution of lease deeds, which would benefit around 5311 allottees, has to be undertaken in a time bound manner.
The L-G has directed the administrative department to fix responsibility on officers for the delay in processing the lease deeds and take stringent action against them, they said.
He also directed the secretary concerned to ensure a comprehensive review of matters that have been delayed inordinately, process them expeditiously, and resubmit within a timeline of three weeks, officials added.