NEW DELHI, January 22: The residents of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) colonies all over the Capital have asked the political parties to clear their respective stands on vital issues like the Delhi Rent Act, the conversion scheme for leasehold properties and the house tax, which affect them the most.The Apex Association of DDA Colonies, representing a majority of the DDA flat-owners all over Delhi, in a meeting today said that nearly half of the Capital's population, residing in over 10 lakh DDA dwelling units now, wanted the political parties to stop beating about the bush on these issues.
The controversial Delhi Rent Act, 1995, the association said, should be notified immediately as it could provide an impetus to the construction of dwelling units in the National Capital Region (NCR), thereby easing the acute housing shortage in the area. The tenant-traders who are opposing the legislation had their own vested interests in mind, they said.
"Similarly, the scheme of the conversion of leasehold
properties into freehold should be made more public-friendly by extending the scheme of free conversion, currently allowed for plots measuring up to 50 square metres, to the flats as well," association chairman Gauri Shanker Sharma said.
According to the association members, where the DDA has built, say 10 flats in 500 square metres, the notional share of each flat-owner was only 50 sq metres, thereby entitling them for a free conversion. Right now, all the 10 flat-owners are charged the fee on the basis of their total carpet area. A simpler formula of a one-time payment of 10 years' ground rent for converting leasehold property into freehold would be more appropriate, they said.
Similarly, the house tax is levied on the basis of the cost of the land and the construction, whereas the cost of DDA flats included the cost of common areas and amenities like parks, roads, playgrounds etc. The DDA, the association added, should be made to give a break-up of the cost under various heads so that the house tax
could be levied according to the set formula.
The flat-owners have demanded from the parties, whosoever comes to power, to implement the Malhotra Committee recommendations on building bye-laws for allowing more covered space in the private houses. An expert committee, they said, should be appointed to study the situation with regard to the DDA flats and recommend how a similar relief could be provided to them as well, where-ever possible.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
