Hand over flat allotted after 31 years: Delhi HC to DDA

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to hand over possession, within two weeks, of a flat allotted 31 years after the issuance of the allotment letter.

Justice V.K. Shali warned that DDA vice chairman Balwinder Kumar, commissioner (housing) D. Sarkar, and director (housing) A.K. Bisth will have to be present in court on the next date of hearing Aug 12 if its order to give possession of the flat to V.S. Kasturia was not complied with.

Kasturia was issued the allotment letter of a HIG (high income group) flat in Vasant Kunj under the DDA's fifth housing registration scheme.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Kasturia through advocate R.K. Saini seeking direction to the DDA to comply with the court's April 2013 order to hand over possession of the flat.

Despite repeated representation, the DDA has failed to do so till date, even after a year, Saini said.

On the other hand, the DDA submitted that the possession of the flat could not be delivered as all this while, its cost was being worked out.

"To my mind, this excuse on part of the DDA is wholly unwarranted and untenable and the question of costing does not arise in as much as the petitioner (Kasturia) had made full payment towards allotment of the original flat in Vasant Kunj way back on April 22, 1983," the court said in the recent order.