New Delhi: The Delhi government has notified regularization of the self-draw of flats in the Dwarka Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS), months after announcing its intention to do so.

But the members who went for self-draw without the approval of the registrar of cooperative societies have to pay a penalty of Rs 15,000 for twobedroom, Rs 20,000 for threebedroom and Rs 25,000 for fourbedroom flats.

The notification on Monday lists 26 societies and will bring relief to over 2,500 flatowners. However, it says: “The members and other officebearers chargesheeted by the CBI shall not get the benefit and their names will not be sent to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) till the criminal cases pending against them are decided.”

The notification mentions that the allotment would be provisional in nature and an indemnity bond on non-judicial stamp paper of Rs 100 has to be submitted by the members and the president and the secretary of each society. Moreover, a separate affidavit has to be filed by the members and the secretary, stating that they had no objection to the manner of conduct and the outcome of the self-draw.

These flats-owners had earlier defied the registrar of societies and moved into their flats after holding self-draws. The Association of Suffering Members of CGHS have now questioned the justification of imposing the penalty, saying the lieutenant-governor had approved in May Rs 1,000 as regularization charge to DDA. “The members suffered for six years for no fault of theirs. Then they were asked to pay Rs 1,000. Now yet another punishment. Is it legal?” they have asked.

It has also cited a Supreme Court order in which the court said the chargesheeted members should not be excluded from allotment as owning a house is a civil right.

Times of India | Page: 5 Deepak Kumar Dash TNN, New Delhi | October 21, 2011