Government jobs come with a myriad of benefits for the employees, some of them being a pension, job security, etc. But one of these benefits which is most attractive to potential candidates is Government Quarter schemes for government employees. If you are a central government employee relocating to a new city because of work and are unsure of what to do regarding accommodation, then there is no need to worry because you can apply for GPRA! If you are unclear about what it is, keep on reading, and all your questions will be answered.
General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) is maintained by the Directorate of Estates and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Delhi and other areas of the nation. The portal through which candidates can apply used to be called the E-Awas portal, but it has now been succeeded by the E-Sampada portal. This new portal was launched on 25th December 2020. These housing units are allotted based on eligibility, qualifications, requirements, and job openings. The Union Housing Ministry has created the E-Sampada platform to make it easier for government employees to apply for housing in Delhi. To register for affordable housing, the applicant must adhere to specific norms and meet specific requirements. Here’s a quick rundown of the GPRA E-Sampada and E-Awas portal, as well as what you should understand about it.
What is General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA)?
The central government has devised a strategy to provide affordable housing to its deserving employees. The general pool residential accommodation is set up specifically for that purpose. In Delhi, they are under the administration of the directorate of estates DoE. The allotment to candidates is done on the basis of eligibility, vacancies, and qualifications. The provisions for allotment are mentioned in the Allotment of Government Residences Rules. These schemes are done in many mainstream cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Applicants who work for the NCT of the Delhi government or the central government are eligible. E-Sampada portal is specifically made for Government officers who are based in Delhi. This new portal has replaced the E-Awas portal, and candidates are advised not to confuse the two. The NCT of Delhi and the city boundaries or territories defined by the Regional Directorate of Estates offices are included in the GPRA’s eligible zone (CPWD).
E-Sampada
Hardeep Singh, the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, introduced E-Sampada on Christmas 2020. It is a new web and mobile app that provides a single platform for all services related to government residential accommodations, office space, and vacation home reservations over 28 locations.
Who is eligible for GPRA?
The eligibility criteria are based on qualifications, eligibility, and openings. They are assigned in accordance with the terms of the Government Residences Allotment Rules, 1963.
- The Cabinet Committee on Accommodation must approve the location of applicants working in government offices in Delhi (CCA). In addition, they should be located inside the NCT’s boundaries.
- It is also offered to other applicants who work in government offices outside of Delhi. The CCA must accept these petitions before presenting them to the directorate with the joint secretary’s consent. They must also supply information about the office’s status and if the officer or department employee is qualified for residential housing from any other pool.
- Any government employee who has access to a departmental housing pool is also eligible.
- It is important to note that the applicant must produce a department document declaring that no junior to the applicant has received an allocation from the department.
- Certificates that do not explicitly state these requirements will be rejected.
Accommodation entitled to various grade pay scales
For people under the pay scale of Rs. 1,300, Rs. 1,400, Rs. 1,600, Rs. 1,650 and Rs. 1,800 are eligible for type 1 accommodation. Similarly for people under pay scale of Rs. 1,900, Rs. 2,000, Rs. 2,400 and Rs. 2,800 are eligible for type 2 accommodation, people under Rs. 4,200, Rs. 4,600 and Rs. 4,800 get type 3 accommodation.
Type of accommodation | Pay grade |
I | 1,300, 1,400, 1,600, 1,650 and 1,800 |
II | 1,900, 2,000, 2,400 and 2,800 |
III | 4,200, 4,600 and 4,800 |
IV | 5,400 to 6,600 |
IV (SPL) | 6,600 |
V-A (D-II) | 7,600 and 8000 |
V-B (D-I) | 8,700 and 8,900 |
VI-A (C-II) | 10,000 |
VI-B (C-I) | 67,000 to 74,999 |
VIII | 80,000 and above |
Preference for allotment of accommodation
Accommodation type | Preference factor |
Type-I, II, III, IV (lower accommodation) | Date of joining the Indian government’s service. |
Type IV (Special) to VI (higher accommodation) | 1)The office’s grade pay.
2) The date on which the candidate has received his current wage grade on a continuous basis. 3) Minimum wage 4) The date on which you enlisted in the service. 5) When two or more officers have the same priority date, basic pay, and date of joining the service, the officers departing sooner shall be given greater priority.
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Note: Officers entitled to type V and above housing can also pick a type of lodging that is less than their entitlement but not less than Type IV (Special). Officers who are eligible for Type V-A and Type IV (Special) accommodations, on the other hand, may apply for Type IV accommodations.
GPRA’s Allotment Procedure
- Allocation is done according to a unified waiting list. To be eligible for GPRA, you must be on a consolidated waiting list for a certain kind of housing.
- Everyone who is applying for the GPRA is placed on the unified waiting list. This list includes those on the waiting list for their accommodation and those who wish to modify their housing.
- Allotments are made based on the application’s date, priority, and seniority. Each applicant is given two initial and change allotments in each kind of housing.
How can I use E-Sampada to apply for GPRA?
The application process is entirely online and quite quick. Candidates can avoid long lineups by applying for housing allocation online. To apply for government housing, follow the steps below in order:
The first part of the steps is getting login details. For that, follow these 2 simple steps.
- Click on Government Residential Accommodation on the E-Sampada website.
- On the E-Sampada website, applicants must fill out the Login ID request form. Once you’ve registered, log in using your registered cellphone number or official e-mail ID or the information sent to your inbox. OR You can get access credentials by emailing the directorate at doe-mohua@gov.in.
Once you have generated your login details, you can now move on to the next part of the application:
Step 1: Go to the E-Sampada portal (click here) and log in with your e-Sampada-generated ID and password.
Step 2: In the top menu, you’ll notice the following options:
- Applications: To complete the forms for allocation.
- Applicant card: To examine your information, including your waiting position, allocation, and so on.
- Waiting list: View the whole waiting list for the type(s) you are on the waiting list.
- Vacancies: To see the vacancies for the type(s) of position(s) for which you are on the waiting list.
- Allotment preference: To offer your preferences for properties that are now unoccupied.
- Download form: To obtain a copy of the Acceptance Form, click here.
- Help: To review the Directorate of Estates’ office memo for the Automated System of Allotment.
Step 3: Go to the ‘Application’ option in the menu and fill the ‘DE-II form.’ This should be transferred through your office, and the directorate will verify it.
Step 4: Choose ‘Allotment Preference’ from the drop-down menu once you have filled the form. You will be presented with four conditions; carefully consider each one and select the one that suits your needs. Choose a house type and a pool according to your preference. Here you make your selection and then click the submit button. Once you’ve made your selections, your screen will display all of the vacancies you’ve chosen along with your waitlist number. It would help if you now ranked your choices for allocation in relation to these alternatives. To keep your choice order, click ‘Accept.’ Take a printout of the screen once you’ve saved all of your options.
If it has been accepted, it will be added to the waiting list for qualifying housing types for the next month.
Allotment letters will be sent to all those who applied online once you have been assigned housing, and you must submit your acceptance online within 8 days of receiving your letter. To do so, you must fill out the acceptance form accessible on E-sampada. Beginning March 1, 2021, the bidding cycle will run from the 1st to the 9th of each month:
- Delhi’s lower types (Types I to IV);
- Delhi’s higher types (Type IV(S) and above); and
- Geographical Areas (All Types)
All candidates must update their profiles and have them approved by the admin officers by the final day of the preceding month.
Allocation of government housing follows a certain procedure.
Following are the different procedures followed by the GPRA in accommodation allocation.
- E-Sampada registration for allocation of “Government Residential Accommodation.”
- The authorities’ acceptance of the allocation.
- The accommodation’s technical occupation.
- The accommodation is physically occupied.
- Rent invoice generation and submission.
- The accommodation will be secured.
- Rearrangement of accommodation.
- Accommodation vacation
- No Demand Certificate request and approval.
Contact information for E-Awas Delhi
If you have any questions about registration, applications, or bids, interested applicants can send an email to doe-mohua@gov.in. Directly under the Directorate of Estates, a central body in charge of government housing allotment where Applicants can also send their questions is eawas-estates@nic.in.
Contact information for E-Sampada Delhi
The following are the contact information for E-Delhi Sampada’s headquarters:
Room 007, (Ground Floor),
Nirman Bhawan, Delhi.
contact: 011-23022199, 23062231, 23061319
Email address: doe-mohua@gov.in, Regions-estates@gov.in
GPRA allotment quotas and pools
Under GPRA, there are various quotes and pools for the accommodation.
- For the secretaries of the government of India, there are nearly 70 Type VII properties in various parts of New Delhi for online allocation. This is called a secretary’s pool.
- Officers who are working on a tenure basis have various accommodations as well. Example (IAS, IPS officers). This is the tenure officer’s pool.
- The Central Staffing Scheme provides a variety of accommodation choices for Non-All India Services Officers on central deputation. This is the tenure pool.
- Some accommodations are reserved for the government’s female officers. These could be married or single. This pool is known as the lady officer’s pool.
- Around ten residences are kept for the government of India law authorities such as the solicitor general, assistant solicitor general, and attorney general, making this the legal officers pool.
- Journalists and press cameramen have housed in around 100 rooms. These allocations are based on the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s recommendations. Professionals with a monthly income of up to Rs 20,000 are classified as Category I and are eligible for Type IV housing. Likewise, people earning between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000 are classified as Category II employees and are eligible for Type IV (Special) housing.
- Around 40 residences are kept for prominent artists approved by the Ministry of Culture under this quota.
COVID-19 guidelines for GPRA
With the ongoing second wave of covid 19, GPRA had to include some revisions in their guidelines. The federal government has announced a few laws connected to general pool residential housing that would be retained. Some of the regulations mentioned are:
The following groups will be eligible for retention of assigned government housing in the nation from April 1, 2021, until June 30, 2021:
- Rule 24(2) – when two allottees in separate accommodations granted under these rules marry, they are required to surrender one of the accommodations within one month of their marriage.
- Rule 40 – which allows for a limited time of GPRA retention in certain circumstances.
- Rule 44 (7 and 8) – which allows for a change of lodging.
FAQs
1.What is included in the unified waiting list?
Every person who applies for the GPRA is placed on a unified waiting list, which includes individuals who are waiting for their first allocation and those who wish to change their housing.
2.What is the priority date for lower lodging categories?
The date of joining the service in the Government of India shall be the date of priority regarding lower type accommodation.
3.Is a house-owning officer eligible for general pool residential accommodation at his or her posting?
Yes, they are eligible.
4.What exactly is a general pool?
The general pool is the mother pool, and it contains many pools or quotas for specific types of government personnel.
5.What zones are eligible to apply for the GPRA?
The NCT of Delhi is an eligible zone for GPRA allocation in Delhi. For other cities, the Directorate of Estates or CPWD regional offices designating the city borders of a certain city or territory are taken into consideration for allocation.