Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Monday issued notice to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on a petition challenging the policy of reserving flats for Scheduled Caste applicants from across the country.Justice Hima Kohli asked DDA to file its reply within four weeks and slated the matter for March 23.

The DDA had invited applications for 5,238 flats in August-September under the DDA Housing Scheme 2008. Of the available number of flats, 17.5 percent were reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the applicants did not need to be a Delhi resident.

Prem Chand, a 42-year-old resident of Dilshad Garden, has questioned the legality of this provision and sought the court’s intervention.

Giving prima facie observation on the petitioner’s plea, the judge noted: “DDA is not a local authority and cannot stick to one particular state.”

The petition says the government agency had surpassed its jurisdiction by inviting applications from Scheduled Caste applicants outside the National Capital Territory, without a thought for members of the same category living in Delhi.

Rajeev Bansal, appearing for DDA, said the petition was not maintainable and should be dismissed.

“The procedure of allotment of flats had begun in August. If the petitioner had any problems, he should have challenged the process then. But he participated in the draw and his name did not figure in the list, and now he has challenged the procedure. That’s not relevant,” he said.