'Changes in DDA flats can be regularised'

The government today said the existing building regulations may allow regularisation of a large number of alterations reported in DDA flats.

Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken told the Rajya Sabha that regularisation of such changes can be ordered in accordance with laid-down procedures involving requests from flat owners. The DDA has found roofing of courtyards one of the most common alterations in its flats, the minister said in a reply.

Rooms built on roofs, maybe because of family requirements, was also a common form of alteration in DDA flats, he added.

"A large percentage of such additions, alterations can be regularised under the existing policy after following the procedures for permission and regularisation of additions, alterations in DDA flats," the minister said.

The DDA might allot 9,734 new flats under the lower income group (LIG) category, Maken said, adding that it had allotted a total of 299,690 flats of different categories from 1981 to February, 2006.

In another reply, he said the Centre aims at developing e-governance solutions for municipalities across 423 cities and towns with a million-plus population by 2011.

"The national mission mode project on e-governance in municipalities will assist in improved service delivery, decentralisation, better information management and transparency," he added.