NEW DELHI: As the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) launched its much-awaited housing scheme on Monday, the Congress and the BJP resorted to mudslinging over the flats meant for economically weaker sections.
The DDA housing scheme 2014 offers 25,034 flats, out of which 22,627 are one-bedroom apartments and 700 flats meant for EWS category.
Congress state president Arvinder Singh Lovely alleged that the decision taken at the behest of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to allocate 2,400 flats to the EWS category slum dwellers was reversed by the BJP-led Centre and those flats were being offered now under general category in Housing Scheme DDA - 2014.
“The Congress’ delegation will met Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and would demand immediate reversal of the above decision and the 2,400 flats be allotted to the EWS category slum dwellers,” said Lovely.
Attacking the Congress, BJP state president Satish Upadhyay said the Congress Government collected crores in the name of registration fee under Rajiv Ratna Aawas Yojna in 2007-2008, but not a single flat was allotted to the poor despite Sheila Dikshit-led Government having ruled Delhi for the next five years. “It is our belief that the Congress Government kept such flats vacant so that Union ministers, Lieutenant Governor and the vice-chairman of the DDA could allot flats to their partymen under the discretionary quota,” Upadhyay said.
He also said that soon after the formation of the new government at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reviewed the working of various departments and it is surprising to find that these 25,000 flats were rotting for years when there was great shortage of houses in Delhi.
In the meantime, the DDA launched its ‘Housing Scheme 2014’ at the Vikas Sadan, its headquarters, on Monday.