The DDA Housing Scheme 2019 was launched on March 25, offering flats across four categories.

The draw of lots for allotment of flats under the DDA Housing Scheme 2019 began in New Delhi on Tuesday at the urban body's headquarters, officials said.

The draw is being held for 10,294 flats and there are 45,012 applicants, a senior official said.

"The draw of lots for the scheme is being held at the Conference Room of Vikas Sadan (DDA headquarters) and the process is being streamed live through the DDA website," a senior DDA official said.

The randomised computer-based draw of lots for the scheme is being held in the presence of retired high court judge SN Aggarwal, Prof Anshul Kumar of IIT-Delhi and deputy director general of National Informatics Centre Vishnu Chandra, he said.

Earlier, the DDA had said that the scheme was for sale of nearly 18,000 newly-built flats in Delhi's Vasant Kunj and Narela areas and it had received around 50,000 applications.

Officials, however, did not elaborate why the number of flats on offer and applicants was reduced.

The DDA Housing Scheme 2019 was launched on March 25, offering flats across four categories -- HIG, MIG, LIG and EWS.

Following a lukewarm response, the deadline for application was extended by a month till June 10.

Of the 45,012 final applicants, 36,409 are from general category, 5,021 Scheduled Castes and 2,025 Scheduled Tribes and 97 war widows, among others, the official said.

Persons with disability would be given first preference for allotment of ground floor flats, he said.