HUDA ‘mistake’ to cost flat owners Rs 9 crore

Thousands of residents living in 11-odd group housing societies based in Gurgaon’s Sectors 9 and 9A have been asked to pay for what appears to be a mistake committed by Huda. The cash-strapped Huda issued notices last week to the house owners in these societies to recover Rs 10.84 crore as enhanced cost — a move that the development authority should have initiated around two decades ago.

As a result, the owners, who were supposed to pay a total of around Rs 2 crore back then, will now have to pay Rs 8.84 crore extra as interest.

As per the rules, the “defaulters” will have to deposit 20% of the dues within 30 days of receiving the notices. The remaining amount will have to be paid in four instalments every six months.

The estate office-I has also threatened to take action and seal the house if its owner failed to settle the dues within the next two years.

Huda had acquired large chunks of land at Basai village in the mid-90s for developing Sectors 9 and 9A. However, unhappy with the compensations, some farmers, who had given up their plots, had challenged the acquisition in the Punjab and Haryana high court. In 1999, the high court had directed the development authority to pay additional compensation to the land donors.

Acting on the HC directive, the authorities carried out a survey, and decided to collect Rs 574 per square metre from the residents of Sectors 9 and 9A for making the additional payments to the farmers. Subsequently, it issued notices to residential and commercial plot holders in this regard, but apparently forgot to send notices the group housing societies.

Now, Huda has asked the flat owners of the group housing societies to pay Rs 2,182 per square metre, which includes 15% annual interest for nearly two decades’ delay, as enhanced cost.

Huda estate officer-I Sanjeev Singhla said the department had asked all officials concerned to find out if the authorities had to recover any amount in areas under their jurisdictions. “We have found that 11 group housing societies have not paid the ‘enhancement’ as per the HC direction. Thus, notices have been issued for recover of the dues,” he added.

As per the terms of allotment, if Huda has to pay any “enhanced” compensation for land acquisition following any court directive, the extra amount would be recovered from the allottees. “The allottees have to pay the enhancement as and when decided by the court,” said Singhla.

The residents slammed Huda for passing on “the burden of its mistake” to them. “Why should we pay the interests for the mistake made by Huda?” asked Sunil Yadav, a resident of Sector 9. “Huda should collect the principal amounts from the house owners and the interests should be extracted from the officials responsible for the delay.”

 

Source:- https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/residential/huda-mistake-to-cost-flat-owners-rs-9-crore/62347439?photo_id=60020268