Rajuk allots 1,077 Purbachal plots

Lottery held for four categories
The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) yesterday announced the names of 1,077 plot winners in four categories for the Purbachal New Town Project.
Among the winners, Rajuk allotted plots through a lottery in three categories — freedom fighters, artistes/cultural personalities/sportspersons, and Bangladeshi expatriates — while 14 plots were allotted to judges directly (one seven-and-a-half-katha and 13 ten-katha plots).
State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan formally inaugurated the draw at Osmani Memorial Hall.
Some 2,536 freedom fighters applied for the plots and 296 of them won, while 713 applications were cancelled for failing to fill in the forms in proper manners.
Of these plots, 16 are ten-katha ones, 36 seven-and-a-half-katha, 134 five-katha and 110 three-katha plots.
In the artistes/cultural personalities/sportspersons category 313 applications were submitted and 176 plots were allotted.
In this category, nine plots were 10 kathas each, 21 were seven and a half kathas, 80 were five kathas, and 66 are three kathas each. The number of cancelled applications in this category is 74.
For the expatriates 591 plots were allotted against 22,673 applicants. Thirty-two of these plots are 10 kathas, 72 seven and a half kathas, 267 five kathas and 220 three kathas.
A total of 1,513 applications were cancelled during scrutiny.
Prof Masroor Ali of a Buet team, which has been working to scrutinise the applications, conducted the lottery.
State Minister Abdul Mannan Khan said the lottery has been conducted in the utmost transparent manner unlike the previous years.
“I can challenge all of you that no irregularities were there in the process. I would give award to the person who would be able to find any irregularities,” he said.
“Neither I nor any of my relatives even applied for the plots,” he added.
In response to a question from the audience, Mannan Khan said the lottery of the rest of the categories will be held soon in two phases after the Buet team completes the process.
Referring to the demand of the audience for giving them back the deposited money, he said they have already talked to the banks.
“We’re trying to return the deposited money as early as possible. A cell will be formed in Rajuk so that the process is completed smoothly,” he said.
He however could not give any deadline in this regard.
Chairman in-charge AYNM Golam Kibria said the unsuccessful applicants can apply for withdrawing the money soon aster the Eid-ul-Fitr.
Only 6,000 of the 17,500 residential plots under the Purbachal project are available after the past government had allotted over 11,000 plots.
Rajuk invited applications for the Uttara third phase and Purbachal project in November last year and 1.65 lakh applicants applied.

Courtesy of The Daily Star