GURUGRAM: Haryana govt has formed a four-member committee to investigate the e-draw mechanism used for affordable housing allotments after it emerged that all 708 residential units at Sector 36 that were on offer went to residents in Sohna. The committee has now been directed to examine the portal and submit a report within 10 days.
The allotments have been put on hold.
The move comes after the draw conducted on Jan 27 was found to have allocated all flats exclusively to applicants from Sohna, violating Affordable Housing Policy 2013 guidelines.
The panel will carry out a thorough examination of the e-draw system to determine if the lapses stemmed from a technical glitch or is an administrative error. It will also probe whether there was a deliberate bias in the allotment process.
The committee comprises chief town planner (IT&M), senior town planner (E&V), senior town planner (Gurgaon) and project manager (IT HQ).
The draw was conducted for an affordable housing project being developed by 4S Developers under licence number 235 of 2023. Though 51,586 people applied for 708 flats, allotments to beneficiaries exclusively from Sohna town raised eyebrows.
According to clause 5(ii) of the policy, while Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) beneficiaries are prioritised, the policy doesn’t specify any preference of a particular town for the draw. The senior town planner (Gurgaon) flagged this discrepancy, leading to an immediate review.
The department of town and country planning (DTCP) On Feb 13 issued orders to cancel allotments and conduct a fresh draw following the policy guidelines. Also, the e-draw software is now under scrutiny to ensure its compliance with state-wide eligibility criteria.
The dispute has raised questions about clarity and fairness in Haryana’s affordable housing allocation process, with numerous applicants expressing doubts about transparency.
Director of town and country planning Amit Khatri in his order said, “The draw conducted for affordable housing project in Sector 36, Sohna stands cancelled and instructions have already been issued to the senior town planner to get the fresh draw conducted. The matter needs to be enquired and test run of the software needs to be conducted to ensure its functioning in accordance with the policy norms”
As the committee begins its probe, homebuyers and stakeholders eagerly await its findings, which will determine if the problem was a technical malfunction, human oversight or an intentional manipulation.
Reshma, a resident of Delhi who applied for a flat in the Sohna project, said, “I applied for this project hoping for a fair chance, but now it seems like the system was rigged. How can all selected applicants be from Sohna when thousands from across Delhi-NCR have applied? The govt must ensure transparency in the fresh.”
Arvind Kumar, an applicant from the city, said, “Affordable housing is meant for everyone, not just people from a particular town. If the system is biased, what’s the point of applying? The govt should take strict action and overhaul the e-draw mechanism to prevent such irregularities.”
