1,300 residents left in lurch

1,300 residents left in lurch
BY CHETANA BELAGERE
BENGALURU

More than 1,300 residents including software engineers, bank officials, doctors and expats who have invested crores of rupees for a flat in Springfields Apartments will soon be homeless if the builder does not sort out the issue of occupancy certificates within seven days.

Springfields Apartments on Sarjapur Road which is said to be one of the few residential projects in the city with 82 percent lung space and just 18 percent of built up areas has built seven wings which includes nearly 50 flats in each wing without the commencement and occupancy certificates.

The residents who went to BDA authorities with complaints of the discrepancies are now facing a tough time running after the builders, advocates and the BDA authorities.

“The officers at BDA who promised to deliver justice to us have now sent an order asking us to vacate immediately. The builder in turn has been given seven days time but what about our woes? Who will listen to us,” said a techie on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the residents told Deccan Chronicle that everyone had relied upon the BDA’s sanction plan and had together paid several crores of rupees to the developers towards acquisition of their respective apartments.

The directors Mr H.S.

Bedi, Mrs Avneet Bedi, Mr Pradeep Kumar Tewani and Mr P K Gajra have not only violated the statutory provisions but have also conducted criminal breach of trust, the residents of the apartment allege.

“The builder also said that BDA had issued occupancy certificates to all these buildings and only then hundreds of families occupied these apartments. Now, we learn that BDA has not issued occupancy certificates to many of these blocks,” said another resident, an expat.

The residents who actually started this protest to show a violation have now been rendered homeless.

“Where do we go? And why should we go? It was not our mistake. Why are we being targeted for no mistake of ours,” cried a doctor, who is residing in one of the wings and has been asked to vacate. The residents have now planned to approach advocates to make sure there is some way out of this situation.

Who is to blame?

It is surprising to know that IDEB and Parkway Venture could manage to construct seven wings, each consisting of about 13 floors without even obtaining the commencement certificate.

The BDA officials, interestingly have not even inspected the area to find out the discrepancies of the builders.

The builders who have been constructing the building from the past three years, as per the orders, have not only violated the BDA rules but have also separated about 1,710 sq m of area on the North West Corner from the main premises by constructing a compound wall.

The order also states that the entry to the premises from the north west side is blocked and the Set Back Line of 13 m is not maintained on the western side by changing the orientation and location of the basket ball court/tennis court. This modification has resulted in reduction of surface parking.

This is not all, while BDA had claimed ignorance all this while, even some of the major nationalised and private banks have sanctioned loans to almost 80 percent of the owners who have bought the flats.

“The banks have given loans to all of us without even checking? It’s ridiculous. For all these days we were only fighting for that land which has been taken to construct a hotel but now we have to fight for our own homes,” said a resident.