Close to 1.5 lakh applications for MHADA lottery

After the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority's (MHADA) online application received only around 1,82,000 forms, more than 75 per cent, have submitted the forms to the Axis Bank. The total number of official applications for the lottery is 1,40, 289 as the deadline for submitting the forms and depositing the earnest money deposit (EMD) ended on Thursday.

The number of forms submitted this week saw more than cent per cent rise (almost 72,000) as compared to the total number of forms submitted till last Saturday (68,000). "We are very satisfied with the response as the final applications have crossed 75 per cent mark and that is the highest amongst the four lotteries" said Amarjit Singh Manhas, Chairman Mumbai board.

Though from the initial response, the lottery was criticized and people including MHADA officials had just hoped that they would be barely able to cross the 75,000 mark. However the 1,40,000 mark has come as a big positive sign for MHADA. " One of the major reasons for increase in the number of forms in the second half of the lottery period is the loan scheme offered by the bank in the same period" said a MHADA official.

Axis Bank had provided an offer wherein they had paid the EMD amount on behalf of the applicant from May 9 and since then the lottery saw almost 1,27,000 applications as compared to a miniscule 13,000 in the first 10 days.

Though MHADA is patting their backs in self- appreciation, even though the response to the lottery on the whole has been disappointing as compared to the previous two years when 3.28 lakhs applications had come for 3449 houses in 2010 and in 2009, 4.33 lakh applications had come for 3863 houses. Various officials within MHADA have cited different reasons including only online application that was not accessible to majority of lower class people, no funding from Centre under JNNURM and less number of flats for the economically weaker section that were 256.