The directions came after a meeting of Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav with the affected residents and the developer of Chintels Paradiso on May 3.
The Gurugram district administration has asked the developer of Chintels Paradiso housing complex in sector 109, where a portion of tower D had collapsed and killed two, to fully settle compensation claims of residents of towers D, E, and F in four months, or redevelop flats at the same property in three years, officials said.
The directions came after a meeting of Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav with the affected residents and the developer of Chintels Paradiso on May 3.
Towers D, E, and F of Chintels Paradiso housing complex were declared “structurally unsafe” by IIT-Delhi, and residents were told to evacuate. The residents of tower D have been living on rent — paid by the builder — in alternative accommodations.
According to Gurugram administration officials, the DC also directed the developer to pay the cost incurred on interior work to flat owners who want complete repayment, along with compensation at a rate of Rs 6,500 per square feet (psf), and stamp duty.
“The DC said that the developer will have to pay the amount in four months’ time, and will also have to pay rent to residents till their claims are settled,” a district administration official said.
He said that Yadav also directed the developer, Chintels India, to redevelop flats and deliver them in three years to residents who opt to live in the same property.
The developer had come up with two options. It would either pay an all-inclusive price of Rs 6,500 psf (on the super built-up area), plus the stamp duty paid by the flat owners. Or, it would get the property repaired or re-built by some reputed contractor per the technical requirements of CSIR-CBRI, and hand over possession within 36 months from the date of receipt of all necessary approvals.
In the meeting, residents raised concerns that the developer wants a second audit of the towers by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), to which the DC said that the developer was free to conduct any audit at his end.
The official quoted above said that the DC, however, added that if CBRI’s report differs from that of IIT, then the district administration will get the property audited by a third independent agency.
It was told in the meeting that despite the instructions of the district administration, some residents of towers E and F have still not vacated their flats. On this, the DC said that the administration would soon issue a notice in this regard under the Disaster Management Act, the official said.
Developer’s take
JN Yadav, Senior VP, Chintels India, said that the developer has agreed to pay Rs 6,500 plus the stamp duty paid by homeowners, as well as the cost of interiors as determined by the government-appointed appraiser.
“Now we request that our registries be opened as soon as possible so that our affected cash flows as normalised,” Yadav said in a statement, since sales at their other projects have been stopped pending the resolution of this issue.
He also said that in the case of the second option, Chintels will wait for CBRI’s report and then proceed as directed, whether it be repair or rebuilding.
“Reconstruction will be done within 36 months after all approvals and obstacles are removed. As far as repayment is concerned, it will be done within four months — 25 percent of the settled amount per month for the residents of towers D, E, and F,” he added.