Urban Development minister Ram Jethmalani told PTI ``the controversy is unwarranted. The decision in this regard was taken much before dissolution of the Lok Sabha. It is not a new decision but an old policy.''

``There is no controversy and it (the conversion) has the support of every principal political party,'' he said, adding ``notification will soon be issued by the ministry.''

Responding to an explanation sought by President K R Narayanan on allowing conversion, the ministry recently sent its reply saying the decision was taken after consulting all political parties.

Asked about the explanation sought by the President, Jethmalani said ``the President being vigilant had asked certain questions and we have conveyed the facts to him.''

Some opposition parties had takenserious exception to the decision and described it as a pre-election sop by the BJP-led caretaker government to woo the electorate of Delhi.

Following the objections raised by the opposition, the President's secretariat, shot off a letter to the cabinet secretariat seeking to know the rationale behind taking such a policy decision and inform whether all political parties were consulted for a consensus on the matter.

The cabinet secretary then wrote to the Urban Development ministry to explain the position on the query raised by the President. The cabinet on May 18 had decided that the revised scheme of conversion to freehold would be allowed for all residential property, including flats built by cooperative group housing societies while plots of less than 50 square metres would be exempted from applying for conversion.