E-Paper
34 Housefed flats in Mohali dist ready for e-auction sans fire safety
Despite being ready since 2015, the 40-tower housing society in Banur is also beset with issues of sewage, dirty water, streetlights
Even as Punjab State Federation of Coop House Building Society (Housefed) has put up its 34 apartments for e-auction, the housing society still has no fire safety equipment in six of its 40 towers. These Housefed apartments, constructed in Banur, have not even procured a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Dera Bassi’s fire department since 2015.
The 912-apartment project, of which 812 have been allotted, was completed in 2014. However, when the fire department conducted an inspection, they found no fire safety arrangements in
six towers numbered 35 to 40. The inspection report says towers 1 to 34 had no fire safety accessories, including branch pipe, hosepipe and landing valve.
Arun Vasudeva, sub-divisional engineer, Housefed brushed off accountability. He said Housefed had already handed over flats to Baba Zoravar Singh Cooperative House Building Society Limited and that it was the society’s duty to install the fire equipment and obtain NOC from fire department.
Allottees of the disputed flats are now demanding their money back.
“It is duty of Housefed to install fire equipment which they have not done in six towers,’ said Kaur Singh, president, Baba Zoravar Singh Cooperative House Building Society Limited. He added that they had applied for NOC from the fire department. “Regarding the STP, it was not functioning even before I took over as president,’ said Singh
With 100 apartments are still unsold, 34 flats (both two-bedroom and three-bedroom) are being auctioned, with the last date for application being February 18.
OTHER ISSUES
Also, a sewage treatment plant (STP) constructed in 2014 is not operational till date. The water being supplied is contaminated and most CCTV cameras are non-functional. The common lights to be fitted on each floor have not been fitted since 2015 and most streetlights and park lights are not working. The parks are poorly maintained and rainwater often enters the lift basement.
The allottees of the three -bedroom, two-bedroom and one bedroom flats are paying ₹750, ₹650 and ₹400 per month as maintenance charges, respectively.
