Flat owners to be booked for Dwarka draw
NEW DELHI: Delhi government seems to have made up its mind to crush the 'civil disobedience movement' which is gaining momentum in Dwarka with members of more cooperative group housing societies (CGHS) going for self-draws, ironically, for flats that they own. Urban development minister Raj Kumar Chauhan told TOI on Monday that FIRs will be lodged against those who conducted such self-draws and all those who participated in it. He threatened to cut their power and water connections.
Chauhan, who claimed that he and his government were keen to help the long-suffering members, said, "We will not tolerate this at any cost. Not only those who held the draw on Sunday will face the consequences but all others who have done so in the past too will face the music."
When asked whether his government would also initiate similar action against political leaders, including the Congress MP from West Delhi, Mahabal Mishra, for endorsing the draw, Chauhan said, "I will not comment on this. They must have some local political compulsion."
Chauhan claimed that only those societies were going for self-draw which have either misplaced their documents or are tainted by some scam. "They have not submitted papers. Without those documents, how can the registrar or the government forward their case for draw and allotment of flats? Not a single society has taken up its case with my office," he said.
However, those who have already opted for the self-draw said the issue of the registrar sitting on their files had been raised at a workshop convened by the chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, on February 18 this year. Chauhan was also present at that meeting. The CM had convened this workshop after some of the societies went for a similar self-draw for their flats in January, which had become an embarrassment for her government.
A release issued by the Association of Suffering Members of CGHS said the CM had given them the assurance that their grievances would be looked into on priority and that they would get a solution within a month. Nothing of that sort happened.
Said Rajendra Arya, co-convener of the association: "Are we outlaws? Have we gone against the country? The government is bound to provide everyone essential services. We have only moved to our homes for which we have paid. They are providing water supply to unauthorised colonies. How can they dare to cut our power and water connections?"
Times of India
28 June 2010
