By Varun Singh

CIDCO last month announced a lottery of 5,730 homes in Navi Mumbai’s Taloja area.

Since then a lot of questions regarding the prices, location and other aspects kept popping.

However, I was surprised when I saw a comment on one of my YouTube videos on CIDCO lottery.

The comment was by T Shaikh, who had asked me, Bhai, Kya Muslim ko CIDCO me room milta hai?

A literal translation of this line would be, does a Muslim get a house in CIDCO?

I decided to answer the comment, and here it is.

Firstly let me tell you there are certain conditions that one had to fulfil to apply for a CIDCO lottery.

These conditions are that the applicant be minimum 18 years of age.

The applicant should be a domicile of Maharashtra, which means the applicant should have resided in Maharashtra for 15 years.

The CIDCO lottery is also in two separate income groups.

One of them is Economically Weaker Section, whereas the other one is for general public.

Under EWS, the yearly income of the applicant shouldn’t exceed ₹3 lakh. If married and the spouse is an earning member then their combined salary shouldn’t exceed ₹3 lakh.

Under the EWS scheme there also is a subsidy of PMAY, here the applicant cannot have a pucca home on his name anywhere in India.

For the general public category, the applicant should have a yearly salary exceeding ₹3 lakh. If married then the spouse if earning then their combined salary should exceed ₹3 lakh only then will the applicant fall in the general public.

CIDCO lottery at no place mentions that a person from any religion cannot apply. A Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh, a Christian, a Parsi, a Jain and any other religion one follows is allowed to apply if they fulfill the above mentioned criteria.

So one part of the question is answered, a Muslim can apply for the CIDCO lottery provided they fulfil the basic criteria.

To answer the remaining question, whether a Muslim gets a home in CIDCO.

Let me tell you, the lottery is a computerised lottery, there is no way, that a human can interfere in the system.

Before this in MHADA lottery many Muslims have got homes and even in CIDCO lottery.

The computerised lottery is carried out without any human interference or biases. This every person has the same chance to get the house immaterial of their religion.

So if you fulfil the criteria mentioned by CIDCO for application of the home, never have a doubt that because of your religion someone will take away the home that you have a chance to win in the lottery.

Also Read: CIDCO Lottery receives so far 10K applications

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