HOUSING DRAW–WHY IS DDA NOT READY TO WAIT FOR COURT DECISION AND DISCLOSES REPORTS?

M K Gupta

Delhi Development Authority is in so much hurry to issue the allotment letters to the allottees of last years draw that it is not ready to wait for the decision in the cases pending before the Delhi High Court. Immediately after receiving the information from the Economic Offence Wing, Delhi Police, DDA has announced on 29.10.2009 that it is going to issue the allotment letters to the successful allottees while the fact was that on that date, two cases were pending before the Delhi High Court. Even the judgment of Justice G.S. Sistani of Delhi High Court to go ahead came after the DDA’s announcement. Suppose, in the decision, High Court had stayed the draw, what would have happened? Likewise, one more case of Salek Chand Jain for holding a fresh draw is still pending before the Delhi High Court. In this case, the DDA has reportedly assured the Court that it will not proceed further without taking it in to confidence. Mr. Jain has now filed an application before Justice Sistani of Delhi High Court on this.

Not only this, though the DDA has claimed that it has got clean chit from the Internal Committee constituted in January this year under the Chairmanship of Shri Nand Lal, Finance Member, it is not disclosing the report of this Committee. M K Gupta of Dwarka has asked for a copy of this report under RTI Act but Mrs. Neelam Chadha, Director (Housing) in her reply dated 3rd Nov. 09 refused to give the copy of the report stating that the copy can be furnished only when the court case is decided and pending investigation is over. DDA can proceed to issue letter of allotment before the Court case is decided but can’t give the report of the Committee which was formed in the wake of allegations of irregularities in the allotment. What is an argument? When all the reports have given clean chits, the denial of the reports on the basis of ongoing investigation is also invalid.

The Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police sent the software used in the draw to GEQD Lab, Hyderabad and C-DAC, Trivandraum. The DDA in its press releases claimed that the Delhi Police has informed that both the aforesaid Labs have not found any irregularity in the software. But contrary to this, Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police refused to give copies of the reports. Shri Gupta requested the Delhi Police for the copies of the GEQD and C-DAC reports but the CPIO’s in their letters dated 20.10.2009 and 27.11.09 have refused to give the reports taking plea that the process will impede the process of investigation. When the reports of both the organizations have given the clean chit, how it will impede the process of investigation is not clear? The question is why DDA is ignoring the pending case and not making public all the three reports when there is no irregularity?