HIDCO to start e-auctioning of 25 HIG plots from November

Kolkata: Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) will start e-auctioning of 25 plots in New Town in November.

Earlier, 75 plots were allotted through lottery to the owners of individual buildings and housing cooperatives. There was an overwhelming response and more than 4,000 people applied for the plots. The lottery was conducted in transparent way.

These 25 plots are meant for individual houses under Higher Income Group (HIG) category. The plots are situated close to Pancha More and Eco Park. Interested persons will have to deposit Rs 1.50 lakh as an application fee. The starting price will be Rs 16 lakh a cottah. The sizes of the plots will be 3 cottah, 4.5 cottah and 6 cottah. Two e-auctions for plots will be held every week.

As New Town is going as the most sought after destination, it is felt that the response for the 25 HIG plots will be high. Eco Park in New Town is the biggest urban park in the country with 480 acre of land with 112 acres of surrounding waterbody. New Town also houses the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre inaugurated by the Chief Minister on October 13 which is the biggest convention centre in the country.

It may be recalled that as there were several allegations of nepotism and favouritism against the then state Housing minister Gautam Deb who was the chairman of HIDCO over the allotment of plots, after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee abolished the chairman's quota.

Then she appointed Debashis Sen, an IAS officer as the chairman of HIDCO breaking the convention that the chairman's post will be held by political persons.