EWS flats: BJP minister Puri part of scam, alleges AAP

AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Monday hit out at Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, alleging that he is the "part of the DDA scam" involving flats for economically weaker sections, a charge refuted by the BJP leader.

On Sunday, Singh had claimed that flats should have been made available for Rs 6.90 lakh and Rs 11 lakh in easy installments.

"(But) after years of struggling, those beneficiaries have been told to arrange Rs 19 lakh and Rs 24 lakh, which means three times more than they claimed and promised," the AAP leader had said.

Hitting back on Monday, Puri accused the AAP of resorting to "lies".

"Fact remains. They neither have the will nor capability to do any good for the people of Delhi. No matter how many times they repeat it, or how shrill their tone gets, lies will remain lies," he said in a tweet.

"The DLF constructed 772 houses which have all been allotted. This means the people have found the pricing to be reasonable, which was done by the DDA in a transparent manner," he said in another tweet.

Singh said the way Puri and the Delhi Development Authority officials reacted after the AAP's "exposure", it showed that "they were involved in the scam."

The DDA had on Sunday said the EWS flats being referred to have been built by private developers and the cost indicated in the brochure was "tentative".

"Private developers have to build EWS flats mandatorily whenever they develop a housing colony. Fifty percent of EWS flats developed by private developers are transferred to DDA at price linked with CPWD index," the DDA said in a statement.

Thereafter, these flats are offered by DDA to eligible beneficiaries. The price charged by the DDA is based on actual cost and the formula is approved by the authority. The price indicated in the brochure in 2014 was tentative, the DDA added.

The AAP leader said the statement is "a big lie" and adds to the "severity of the corruption" that has been going on and there is a dire need for a proper investigation.

"The Hon'ble Minister said he has no information about the 772 EWS-category flats, dismissing the allegations as baseless. But a legal notice has been addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, PMO, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and this has also been sent to Puri," he claimed.

"Why is he telling lies? It just solidifies the doubts around the scam regarding the DDA flats under the EWS category," he said.