Builder told to expedite refunds to flat owners of unsafe Chintels towers

The district administration has directed the developer of Chintels Paradiso condominium in Gurugram to speed up refunds to flat owners in unsafe towers. So far, 121 out of 288 affected residents have consented to a refund, with 75 taking a full refund. The state government ordered a structural audit of the condominium after a partial collapse in February that killed two residents. Towers D, E, F, G, and H have been declared unsafe due to high chloride content in the concrete. The developer has paid around INR 115 crore to flat owners who have settled with them.

The district administration on Friday held a review of the ongoing settlement process of Chintels Paradiso condominium in Sector 109 and directed the developer to speed up refunds to flat owners of towers D, E,F, G, and H, which have been deemed unsafe for habitation by an expert committee of IIT-Delhi.

The structural audit of the entire condominium was ordered by the state government after six floors of the Tower D collapsed partially on February 10, 2022, killing two women residents. (HT Archive)

Hitesh Kumar Meena, additional deputy commissioner, Gurugram, who chaired two meetings on the matter on Friday, said 121 flat owners, of the 288 affected residents in five towers, have consented to a refund and 75 of them have taken a full refund.

The structural audit of the entire condominium was ordered by the state government after six floors of the Tower D collapsed partially on February 10, 2022, killing two women residents. Besides the structural audit, a criminal case was registered against the developer and an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently underway in the incident.

Chintels Paradiso consists of nine residential towers. Towers D, E, F, G and H were constructed in the first phase and A, B, C and J were built in the second phase. All residential towers in the first phase have been declared unsafe owing to the presence of high chloride content in concrete, which has corroded reinforcements.

“We have asked the developer to speed up the settlement process and ensure that the number of settlements crosses at least 50% in the next two weeks. Separate meetings were being held with flat owners of unsafe towers and residents living in towers that have been deemed safe. We are likely to get the report of Tower J soon and, preliminary information is that Tower J, which was constructed in the second phase along with towers A, B, and C, will be deemed safe,” said Meena.

Meena also said the building which are not safe should be vacated as soon as possible. The disaster management department has also issued a warning in this regard and residents are being warned to vacate the premises to avert any untoward incident.

“There are still around 10 to 12 families living in Tower H and we have asked them to vacate the building at the earliest as it could pose a threat to their life. We have also assured the flat owners that the district administration will ensure that each and every home owner gets due compensation,” he said.

Meena said they held a meeting with residents of towers A, B, C and J, and heard the issues raised by them with regard to maintenance. “We have issued concrete instructions to the developer to ensure that maintenance issues are resolved on priority. Services to residents have to be provided as per norms and repair work carried out as and when required,” he said.

Referring to the issue of setting up a 33kV substation, Meena said the developer has sought some time to shift the substation, which is located in the basement of towers that have been deemed unsafe. “We have asked the developer to expedite the process and seek permission for shifting it at the earliest. I have also directed that developer should hold regular internal meetings with residents to resolve minor issues,” he said

When asked about the matter, JN Yadav, vice-president,Chintels India Ltd, said they have paid around ₹115 crore to flat owners who have entered into a settlement with the developer and also agreed to take back the case filed before the Supreme Court.

“We will further expedite the pace of settlements as directed by the district administration but this process takes time. As far as shifting of electricity substation is concerned, we need permission from the department concerned and also land inside the project as the towers will be demolished. The issues pertaining to maintenance were minor and these will be resolved,” he said.

Chintels Paradiso residents welfare association, however, said issues of maintenance are serious and the developer was paying little attention to maintaining the park and green areas. “We don’t know when the demolition of the five towers will take place or how long we should wait for a stable electricity connection,” said Rakesh Hooda, president, Chintels Paradiso RWA.