The Mayawati Government is planning to distribute one lakh houses to the urban poor. The apartments will be given either free or for a nominal price-this year. The houses will be built under the Kanshi Ram Shastri Garib Awaz Yojna, which Ms. Mayawati had announced last month on the anniversary of the formation of the first BSP Government in the state in 1995. The houses will be compact with two-rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. "The Government will construct one-lakh houses for poor people every year. Each house, costing Rs 1.75 lakh, will be built in an area of 20 square metre," informed an official from the Urban Development Department. The priority will be given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with a special provision for the poor belonging to upper castes, shelter-less widows and the handicapped.
10 July 2008 The Indian Express

The new apartments that will come up as a part of the Commonwealth Games Village is all set to reform the image of East Delhi. According to real estate experts, the prices of these flats will bring the value of new properties in east Delhi and satellite towns like Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad at par with similar properties in central, west and south Delhi. During the games in October 2010, the apartments will be used to accommodate 8, 500 athletes. After the games, the developer, Emaar MGF, would hand over one-third of the total 1, 268 flats to DDA and the remaining 779 flats (for which bookings have already started) would be handed over to the buyers. In the last one month, there has been a good response with about 200 people booking apartments at the games village. Experts say that the games village has also impacted the existing realty market in east Delhi and its adjoining areas. The developer's insistence on maintaining exclusivity of the area can be gauged from the fact that the bookings of the apartments are through invitation only. At present, the apartments are being sold at Rs 12, 700 per sq ft but in future, they are expected to increase to Rs 15, 500 per sq ft. Prices of these flats vary according to the locations, while you will pay Rs 500 per sq ft extra for a river-facing and a temple facing flat, the extra charges for boulevard and sports complex facing flat is Rs 250 per sq ft.
11 July 2008 Hindustan Times

The Delhi High Court's decision of legalizing the colonies only for poor has hurt Sainik Farm Residents. "The Delhi government's regularization of illegal colonies is meant for the poor and not for the rich who live in palatial bungalows," Chief Justice, Mr. Ajit Prakash Shah said. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a direction to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for immediate action to stop illegal construction going on in the plush south Delhi colony. Earlier, advocate Mr. Rajeev Awasthi said that ‘every brick in the area’ was unauthorized. As of now, the court has posted the case for further hearing on August 27, 2008.
10 July 2008 The Indian Express