In DDA v. Mala Sahni Seth, a Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan noted that DDA had shut its conversion portal in February 2026, leaving 1,373 applications pending even though about ₹155.06 crore had already been collected. The Court directed DDA to process all pending leasehold-to-freehold conversion applications where fees were paid, as per the policy in force when they were filed. Any revised policy can apply only prospectively.
If you applied for freehold conversion of a DDA property and paid the charges, your application should be processed under the old policy. Keep your payment receipts and application number ready, and follow up with DDA.
For eligibility, charges, documents and the latest position on the conversion freeze, see our full guide to DDA freehold conversion in Delhi.
Many properties in Delhi were allotted by the Delhi Development Authority on a leasehold basis, meaning the land remains owned by the government while the lessee holds rights under a lease deed. DDA's conversion scheme lets eligible lessees pay conversion charges and obtain a conveyance deed that makes the property freehold. Courts apply the principle that public authorities must act fairly and without arbitrariness under Article 14 of the Constitution, and a change in policy is ordinarily applied going forward unless the policy itself lawfully says otherwise.
In practice, an applicant files a conversion application with the required documents and pays the charges. DDA then verifies title, dues and any breach of lease terms before executing the conveyance deed. If an application stays pending for a long time without a decision, the applicant can write to DDA, use its grievance system, and, where needed, approach the High Court through a writ petition.
With leasehold property, the land remains owned by the lessor, here DDA, and the holder enjoys rights under a lease subject to conditions. Freehold means the owner holds full ownership of the property, free of most lease restrictions. Freehold status generally makes sale, mortgage and transfer simpler.
As a general principle, a revised policy applies prospectively unless it lawfully provides otherwise. In this case the High Court directed that pending applications where fees were paid be processed under the policy in force when they were filed. Whether this applies to your file depends on your facts and paperwork.
Keep the original lease deed or allotment papers, the conversion application and its number, receipts for all charges paid, identity and address proof, and any letters from DDA. If the property came to you by sale or inheritance, keep the chain of title documents as well, since DDA checks title before conversion.
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