LUCKNOW, Oct. 11 -- In a major relief for homebuyers and a strategic move to clear its unsold housing units, the UP Housing & Development Board (Awas Vikas Parishad) announced discounts of up to 15% on purchase of flats during Diwali. The decision was taken after its board meeting on Thursday where several key financial, administrative and developmental issues were discussed, said Board secretary Neeraj Shukla on Friday. He said 36 proposals were submitted, of which 29 got the nod. The Board currently has over 10,000 unsold flats across UP. To attract buyers, it has approved a 15% discount for those making full payment within 60 days and a 10% discount for payment within 90 days. Previously, only a 5% rebate was available for full payment, said Shukla. He said in another major relaxation, the interest rate on housing loans has been reduced from 11.5% to 8.5%; buyers can now take possession by paying 50% of the flat cost upfront, while the balance can be paid in installments over 10 years. He added that the board also approved restarting the stalled construction work at Saryu Enclave, Sector 7D, under the Avadh Vihar Yojana. Nine towers were proposed under the scheme, but construction was halted in 2017 due to poor demand. Only two towers were built, with 27 flats sold. An audit revealed that Rs 48 crore had already been spent on the project for the construction of the basements, prompting objections. The Board has now decided to auction the remaining seven towers in their existing condition for Rs 319 crore. The successful bidder will be required to ensure the same amenities for existing flat owners. Shukla said the Board ordered a departmental probe against retired accountant Gopal Krishna Bansal, executive engineer Ramayan Sharan and Rajiv Kumar Saxena for allegedly spending Rs.60 lakh without authorisation during the 2019-20 Defence Expo held at Vrindavan Yojana. The expenditure, made reportedly on verbal instructions, was found missing from official records during an audit. In another disciplinary decision, the Board ordered recovery of Rs 8.6 crore from officials found guilty of poor construction in Kalindi Vihar, Agra, where 360 houses developed cracks soon after completion. Retired junior engineer SK Bhadauria will face a recovery of Rs 1.6 crore, while his team will collectively repay Rs 7 crore. Proceedings against retired chief engineer RK Agarwal were closed after his death. Shukla said the Board cleared new housing projects worth around Rs 5,502 crore in Mau, Ghazipur, Chitrakoot, Banda, and Pratapgarh under the CM Urban Expansion scheme wherein a proposal has been sent to the state government for final approval. A demand survey for a new scheme in Saharanpur will also begin soon. The Board also decided to align recruitment for junior engineers, assistant engineers and legal officers with the Public Works Department (PWD) system, with July 1 fixed as the new eligibility cutoff date. Executive engineer Ajay Kumar Mittal and his team from Ghaziabad were honoured for clearing illegal encroachments from 225,260 square metres of land....