Gazetted officers charge Rs 500 to attest papers of DDA housing scheme

Can Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake up the bureaucratic inertia in the country? Around four months back, the government had announced to do away the age old tradition of requirement of attestation by a gazetted officer but right under the nose of an entire government machinery, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is forcing the allottees of its just concluded housing scheme to cough up Rs 500-Rs 600 to get a photograph and signature attested by a gazetted officer or notary.

“DDA officers are not accepting the documents without attestation of a paper having only a photograph of the applicant, address and signature,” said Mahesh Singh, an allottee of a flat in Dwarka. 

“It’s useless to argue with them as they are adamant to accept it,” he added. In a brief survey of a market adjustment to the Vikas Sadan, the head quarter of DDA by Millennium Post it was found that the allottees were in queue to get their documents attested by a notary or gazetted officer arranged by the shopkeepers selling stamp papers and other stationary items. 

“The gazetted officer comes here only when there are enough documents to register. You can deposit money in advance to avoid standing in queues on Tuesday,” asked a shopkeeper to Singh. He deposited Rs 500 with him and he handed over his visiting card, a number and his signature written on its back. So far 1,350 persons have submitted their documents in the last three days and received allotment letters. If Rs 500 is accepted to sign the documents on an average, the gazetted officers or notaries have siphoned off Rs 6.75 lakh from people’s pocket due to “bureaucratic inertia” of DDA officers.

Interestingly, several crucial documents are required for getting an allotment letter but attestation by a gazetted officer has been made mandatory too. 

“It should not be there. I will ensure the practise of attestation by gazetted officer is stopped at the earliest, most probably by tomorrow  (Tuesday) itself,” said Balvinder Kumar, Vice Chairman of DDA. 

The public notices issued by DDA for the candidates in the lucky draw has a clear mention of requirement of attestation of photographs by a gazetted officer.