Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: Despite the government’s claim that allotment of flats under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority's (MHADA) scheme will be done in a fair manner, a sting operation by Zee News has exposed foul play in the soon-to-be held draw of lots.
Under the MHADA housing scheme, the state government provides low cost and affordable flats to those who have not been able to buy a flat despite residing in Mumbai for years.
The MHADA had last week published advertisements stating that the lottery for a total of 2,593 houses being built in Powai, Magathane, Sion, Kurla, Malvani and Charkop, and Mira Road will be held on May 31.
The duly filled application forms for which will be accepted till May 23.
There are 867 flats in Mumbai — 461 of which are for those from the low-income group, 234 for the middle-income group and 172 flats for applicants from the high-income group. From Mira Road, 1,726 such flats have been put up for the lottery.
The flats offered by MHADA in all categories are much cheaper than the existing market rates and this is why an army of real estate agents has become active for ‘fixing’ the application forms.
An investigation by the Zee News has exposed a wide nexus of real estate agents who are charging exorbitant money from the potential home buyers, who want to hit the jackpot when the lottery for allotment of flats is held on May 31.
Reports of real agents colluding with some MHADA officials to fix some application forms of their clients have complicated things for the government and hit the credibility of the lottery process.
A large number of applicants are apprehensive that the MHADA‘s allotment of flats through lottery system is not error proof.
However, the authorities have categorically rejected such reports and claimed that in order to prevent any fraud in the application process it has been made mandatory for applicants to provide their PAN card and bank account details.
It had earlier set up a committee to regulate the lottery procedure.
First Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 13:43