The cash-strapped Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is making a fresh attempt to enrol defaulters under its one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. Officials said the GDA has constituted 40 teams to reach out to over 8,000 defaulters, who owe the development authority close to Rs 450 crore is due.
“Within days of launching the OTS, lockdown was announced in the district, due to which we were unbale to pursue it. Now, we are planning to pursue it afresh,” said a GDA official.
“Under residential property head, there are 8,294 defaulters and between them Rs 465.79 crore is due on the GDA. In our effort to realise the amount, we constituted the teams,” added the official.
Each team comprises three members who have been entrusted with the responsibility of reaching out to maximum defaulters and convince them to opt for OTS. “The team will call each defaulter and will facilitate completing formalities required before opting OTS,” said the official.
Also, there are 62 commercial properties in the city on which Rs 4,00 crore is due in the form of installment default.
The GDA normally levies an interest rate of 11% per annum on its properties but the rate jumps to 14% in case of default. The defaulters opting for OTS will be given a waiver of 2% of total amount due with GDA.
The state government had launched OTS in March 6 this year. While the GDA went on to publicise the scheme on war footing, there were very few takers. The GDA, at that time, had received only 50 responses from defaulters.