The Science City compound was swamped by home hunters on Tuesday, as the lottery for plots in New Town, Rajarhat, got under way.
Of the multitude, many from faraway districts, only 10 per cent returned smiling. The rest were denied space in the upcoming township.
The number of applicants was around 3,000, while only 237 cooperative plots (HIG, MIG and LIG) in Action Area II were allotted. The lottery for cooperative plots in Action Area III will be held later this month at the same venue.
The event was organised by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco), the implementing agency of the New Town project, and conducted by the Department of Electronics Accredited Computer Centre, of the Union government.
Former chief secretary Tarun Dutta judged the event, assisted by Hidco director-general Subodh Bhattacharya and general manager Pradyut Biswas.
Hidco officers said the lottery for allotment of land to both individuals and cooperatives in Action Areas II and III would be held on four more days in June and July at the Science City auditorium and Nazrul Mancha.
For individual plots in Action Area II, lots will be drawn on June 24 and 27, and for those in Action Area III, on July 1 and 7. All the events are scheduled to be held at Nazrul Mancha.
According to a Hidco official, the lotteries for individual plots will be conducted at Nazrul Mancha, as it can accommodate more people than the Science City auditorium.
The demand for individual plots is far more than that for cooperative plots.
?It is the largest lottery for land. Altogether, 22,000 aspirants are vying for around 2,200 plots,? said Hidco general manager Biswas.
Though the lottery was scheduled to begin at 11 am, applicants started gathering in front of the auditorium from 9.30 am. A large police contingent was deployed at the venue and as the draw was held online, it did not take much time to end.
A giant screen was placed on the dais of the auditorium to display the event. Many applicants and their children took part in the lottery by pressing the button of the computer to select a number.
