Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The booking process for 56 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) non-slum houses under the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's Housing for All (HFA) project at Arhedi has come under the scanner after all units were reportedly booked within just 20 minutes of the online portal opening.
Allegations of technical irregularities and possible manipulation have prompted the municipal corporation to order an inquiry.
The HFA booking portal opened at 11 am on July 1 under a first-come, first-served system with the base price of Rs 7.5 lakh per unit.
However, applicants claimed the website became inaccessible within 20 minutes, preventing many from completing the online application despite having deposited the mandatory Rs 75,000 Margin Money Deposit (MMD) at banks.
BMC commissioner Sanskriti Jain has sought a detailed report from the HFA Cell after several complaints alleged that the portal may have been hacked or manipulated to benefit select applicants.
Sources also claimed that a significant number of successful bookings originated from private bank accounts linked to an Indore branch, raising further suspicions.
However, officials have not confirmed any wrongdoing, and the inquiry is expected to examine all aspects of the booking process.
Rapid bookings raise questions
According to officials, the corporation estimated that they would receive nearly Rs 42 lakh in booking amounts from the 56 successful applicants within about half an hour but after the calculation, the amount was Rs 12 lakh extra.
Applicants may get another chance
BMC Additional Commissioner Tanmay V Sharma said preliminary findings indicate that the portal remained functional for more than an hour.
He added that applicants who failed to book a house may be given another opportunity to apply, subject to approval by the Mayor-in-Council (MIC).
