More than seven months after the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) stopped the drawing of lots (to select plot owners for one of its housing schemes) midway, it is yet to resume it.
In February, a technical problem disrupted the process of selecting owners of 105 plots at Maraimalai Nagar-Gudalur scheme, at Chennai Trade Centre, resulting in a protest from the applicants.
A total of 68 plots — 53 for the economically weaker sections, and 15 for middle-income group — were allotted before the process for high-income group (HIG) plots (3,000 sq. ft.) was disrupted, said K. Pathy, an HIG applicant.
CMDA had said the process would resume in July, but it could not be undertaken in the wake of the building collapse in Moulivakkam in June.
CMDA officials said they were waiting to find a suitable venue to accommodate the large number of applicants.
The civic agency received more than 61,000 applications for the 105 plots, ranging between 300 sq. ft. and 3,000 sq. ft., and priced from Rs. 1.25 lakh to Rs. 19.77 lakh.
With a non-refundable deposit of Rs. 1,000 per application, CMDA earned Rs. 6 crore through the sale of application forms for the plots. The money would be spent on developing the new neighbourhood, said officials.
