Mhada sets up new website for flat applicants

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has set up an alternative website––www.mhada.org-––for prospective buyers to download application forms for Mhada flats. 

    The new website was set up as technical glitches had marred prospective buyers efforts to access https://lottery. mhada.gov.in, the link to download the forms for two consecutive days till Thursday. 

    With both websites working smoothly, Mhada on Friday received 26 applications for flats at Mira Road while 86 applications were received for flats in Kurla, Borivli and Sion. 

    Mhada has invited online applications for the sale of 2,593 flats across the city from May 3 to May 24. Even as the technical glitches 

were rectified, the minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir said he had sought a detailed inquiry report in the matter from Mhada vicepresident, Satish Gavai. Sources said the technical snag arose as there had been a delay in registering the domain name for the Mhada website. According to the procedure, one has to give 48 hours' notice, which did not happen. Apart from this, the anti-hacking software was not compatible and thus did not load. 

    Mhada, however, has defended its website. "Since it is the first day of applications, there is a lot of rush and the website could not take such a huge load," said Vaishali Wagh, public relations officer, Mhada. 

    With real estate rates at astronomical levels, Mhada houses are in demand as they cost less than half of what private builders charge. This can be gauged from the fact that 12,216 houses for sale in the past four years attracted more 

than nine lakh applications. 

    To eliminate errors in filing of application forms experienced in the previous lotteries, two years ago, online filing was made compulsory. "I wasted the entire morning to access the website. I hope this does not happen again," said Sunil Apte, a government employee. 

    "This is the second year in a row that a premier agency like Mhada has been unable to beef up its website. I dread to think of the various difficulties I would encounter if I do win a flat," said Aaruni Shah, who works for a film production firm.