E-Paper
Chandigarh’s Godrej Eternia: SDM issues show-cause notices to 70 unit owners
On July 25, UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh cancelled the occupation certificates (completion certificates) of Godrej Eternia and Berkeley Square, the two major commercial complexes in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area, Phase-1, due to environmental and building violations
In fresh trouble for Godrej Eternia, a commercial complex in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area, Phase-1, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) east Nitish Singla has issued show-cause notices to the owners of around 70 units in the complex over internal office violations.
On July 25, UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh cancelled the occupation certificates (completion certificates) of Godrej Eternia and Berkeley Square, the two major commercial complexes in Chandigarh’s Industrial Area, Phase-1, due to environmental and building violations. The DC’s order further directs the enforcement branch to ensure that the building is not used for any habitable purposes and directed to submit a compliance report within one week.
Now, the SDM has given the owners seven days to rectify the violations, failing which further action will be taken under Section 8-A of the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation Act, 1952). The next hearing date is set for August 5, 2024.
The notices pasted on the units state that during an inspection held in July last year, several internal office violations were found in 70 units. Despite being given sufficient opportunities to remove and regularise these violations, the owners have not taken any steps to address them. The notices further state that while the owners claimed to have submitted fresh revised building plans to the estate office, the concerned sub-divisional engineer (SDE) reported that no revised building plans had been received.
According to the notice, the SDM has no other option but to act under Rule 10(iii) of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007.
Godrej Eternia, an expansive business office complex that spans approximately five acres, was established in 2015. Subsequently, the landowners transferred ownership to individuals and various business entities.
The aggrieved business owners allege that it is unfortunate that the decision to revoke the occupation certificates was taken based on a mere show-cause notice from the environment department, with no final order issued by the green ministry. To justify this hasty action, the SDM issued another notice regarding internal violations of individual units. Most offices have air-conditioning and have erected wooden or glass partitions based on their needs.
The estate office is projecting these need-based changes inside the individual offices as if major external violations have been done on a mass scale. The estate office should conduct a similar audit of all the shop-cum-offices (SCOs) and other commercial and residential buildings in the city, and they would find 90% of the city in violation, the owners allege.
