Source The Tribune

Friday's dt 23-9-05 hearing on Noida's countermanded draw of lots for plots may have been adjourned till Tuesday, but the main issue before the Allahabad High Court, is whether the draw should be scrapped altogether or held again with the ``defective'' list of applicants rectified. Both sides have several litigants as supporters.

   Meanwhile, income-tax officials say that Uttar Pradesh government agency UPDESCO, which had conducted the computerised draw of July 2, has ``still not given us the software used, despite repeated requests. There has definitely been manipulation in the draw.''

   According to official sources, ``There had been several defects in way of the 1.77 lakh applications for the plots. And most of the defects were in the applications for the bigger residential plots, where the profits in a resale would be the largest. But now, most of the applications have been screened, and there are about 3,000 applications on which decisions have to be taken. `'

   Some of the applications in question, are those through which minors had got plots, despite being ineligible. There are also those through which all the members of particular families had won plots, or through which husband and wife couples got one plot each.

   Meanwhile, said IT sources, UPDESCO has still not furnished them copies of the software used in the countermanded draw. The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) has also not furnished, to the department, the complete list of NOIDA employees and their kin who applied for plots and got allotments.

   An I-T official said: ``It is certain that there have been manipulations in the draw. How else could one person land up with as many as four plots. We are also checking how many property dealers, financiers or others filed multiple applications. We will also be checking the financial worthiness of those who got plots, to see how they would have paid for these. NOIDA has given us CDs of the applications in a format that will take a long time to screen.''