The Times of India             27.09.2013

HUDA rejects occupation cert for Peach Jasmine

GURGAON: The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has rejected the application for occupation certificate of Peach Jasmine Cooperative Group Housing Society Limited, which has been accused of a string of building violations.

HUDA is the apex body for issuing occupation certificate to all buildings and group housing societies in Haryana. The society's structural irregularities had come under the scanner of the district administration early this year when a woman member, Neeru Bhatia, filed a complaint.

As per the complaint, the management committee of the society had increased the number of members arbitrarily.

The increase in the total number of the members resulted in the construction of an equal number of flats and it resulted in the reduction of the size of each flat. The complainant had alleged that the flats in the society are like studio apartments with no provision of kitchen in any of them.

The increase in the membership has also reduced the size of the flat from 2,100 sq. ft to 1,100 sq. ft. Based on the complaint, the SDM (north) carried out a probe and established the building violations.

Speaking to TOI, Bhatia said: "I have been running from pillar to post opposing the building violations committed by the management committee but there is no one to listen."

The membership of Bhatia, who had been the whistle-blower of the violations, has been cancelled.

"I have taken up the case in different forums in Gurgaon and finally approached the district grievances committee. On Thursday, the committee has stated that the membership would be restored and for that I will have to approach the assistant registrar's office in Gurgaon," said Bhatia.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Kumari Sharda Rathore held the meeting of the grievances committee in which she directed the authorities not to issue occupation certificate to the society till the violations are addressed. She also asked Bhatia to file an appeal to the Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies against her expulsion from the society.

In the meeting, the HUDA Estate Officer-II, Narender Singh Yadav, informed the committee that the application for occupation certificate of the society has been rejected.

Not happy with the outcome of the committee's meeting, Bhatia said: "There is no timeline for removal of the building violations, which is upsetting. There is no clarity on aspects like which authority will monitor the structural corrections in the flats."