Small living, higher paying

NEW DELHI: There''s some good news and some bad news for flat-owners in Delhi group housing societies. The bad news first. The power of attorney most of you have is not good enough now. The property will have to be converted from leasehold to freehold and it will be mandatory for each flat-owner to be a member of the society.
This means, in addition to the conversion costs that''ll go to DDA, you will also pay Rs 10,000 as society membership fees.
Now the good news. Other than the Rs 10,000 membership fee, any other entry fee is now illegal, and the membership entitles flat-owners full rights in the day-to-day management of their society.
These new rules have been laid down in the Delhi Co-operatives
Society Act, 2003, which is to be implemented shortly. The new Act seeks to remedy this state of affairs in Delhi''s cooperative group housing societies.
Though the city has about 5,300 co-operative housing societies, almost 60% residents of these societies have almost no say in the management.