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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) drew 15 562 eligible applicants in a computer ballot held today (September 3) for the allocation of new niches at Wo Hop Shek Kiu Tau Road Columbarium (WHSKTRC) and Diamond Hill Columbarium (DHC). Successful applicants will be invited in batches from next week to select niches according to the priority determined by the computer.
An FEHD spokesman said that 108 large niches and 15 010 standard niches in Wo Hop Shek Kiu Tau Road Columbarium (WHSKTRC) and 444 standard niches in Diamond Hill Columbarium (DHC) are available for selection in the second phase of the allocation exercise. During the one-month application period ending on July 18, 13 172 eligible applications were received after verification. Together with the
14 866 unsuccessful applications in Phase I automatically brought forward, there are a total of 28 038 eligible applications for Phase II, 238 of which are for large niches and 27 800 for standard niches. The department held an open computer ballot today with the whole process filmed.
As from today, the ballot results will be displayed at the FEHD's Hong Kong Cemeteries and Crematoria (C&C) Office and Kowloon C&C Office, and uploaded to the department's webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk) for public inspection. SMSs or emails will also be sent today to notify successful applicants if they have provided their mobile phone numbers or email addresses on their application forms.
Applicants can also make use of the Instant Voice Response System at 2304 8906 and follow the instructions to check the ballot results starting from tomorrow.
The spokesman said that invitation letters would be sent out according to the priority number drawn starting from September 12 to invite successful applicants to complete the niche selection procedure at the designated date and time at the FEHD's Kowloon C&C Office. The whole allocation exercise is expected to be completed by mid-May 2014.
"For those unsuccessful applications, they will automatically enter the last phase allocation, i.e. Phase III, for computer balloting if applicants have indicated their agreement on the application forms, and no fresh applications will be required," the spokesman said.
Starting from September last year about 43 700 new niches at the newly constructed WHSKTRC and some 1 500 new standard niches at DHC provided by the FEHD are being released for public allocation in three phases. Phase I was completed in May, with 8 977 niches successfully allocated.
Information on the FEHD's C&C Offices is as follows:
Hong Kong C&C Office
Address: 1J, Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Tel.: 2570 4318
Fax: 2591 1879
Kowloon C&C Office
Address: Upper Ground Floor, 6 Cheong Hang Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon
Tel.: 2365 5321
Fax: 2176 4963
Ends/Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:20
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