Ahmedabad, 20 June, 2014

AK Sharma, Under Secretary of Urban Development and Urban Housing, Government of Gujarat has shared the details of what went wrong in Gujarat Housing Board draw.The details are following:

Dev Infotech maintains Gujarat Housing Board website since 2006. Dev Infotech is empaneled agency by Gujarat Informatics Limited. Gujarat Housing Board in coordination with GIL had followed all rules and asked Dev Information System to make web based module based interactive website. Gujarat Housing Board has received applications through physical mode and also online through Kotak Mahindra Bank for primary demand survey. During the survey, no documents are collected from the applicants. Computer draw is conducted after primary scrutiny of all application received through online or physical mode. Those selected through primary check are called with needed documents for detailed scrutiny. Those valid are asked to pay down payment, and then they are given allotment letter. If beneficiary is found not valid, then next valid applicant in waiting list is selected for allotment.

Gujarat Housing Board has got three level randomization web based software for computer draw from Dev Information System.

GHB had conducted demand survey in 2013-14 for second phase schemes through online and offline applications. The details were checked in time-bound period and checked database was given to Dev Information System Private Limited through web based application for the purpose of draw.

Based on database prepared from applications, dummy draw was conducted and their results were checked and needed corrections were made.

Chief Minister conducted draw on 15 June 2014 and declared results. Applicants later complained that Ahmedabad based transport node schemes and Rajkot University schemes witnessed more successful online applicants.

On 16 June the government asked for detailed scrutiny of computerized draw’s code web based software made by Dev Information System through its analysis, simulations and dummy draw. The dummy draw results and Rajkot draw results showed major difference and selection of physical applications was found more.

Dev Information System was asked to file explanation on the difference between two draw results on 18 June. At the same time Gujarat Informatics Limited was asked to check and submit a report.

It was admitted that, by mistake two level randomization software was used instead of three level one by Dev Information.

Thus the draw result distorted due to faulty software used by Dev Information System. The Housing board had handed over entire database after thorough check and had ordered for three level randomization and robust web based application, but it was the faulty software used by Dev Information that distorted the result.

Due to this fault, computerized draw of 21 schemes conducted at Rajkot has been canceled and Gujarat Housing Board has taken a decision to take action against Dev Information System.

Mona Khandhar shares further details:

State Housing Secretary Mona Khandhar today evening in a statement given to various news channels said that there were two modules. One was web-based module and the other was offline stand-alone module.

In Rajkot, when the agency Dev Infotech found that server could do down, they opted offline draw module which adversely affected the results.

This was revealed next day when detailed scrutiny was done. It was found that web-based draw was giving robust results, but offline stand-alone module was giving faulty results, because many processes were web based while others were software based.