Structural audit rate fixed, cost to be shared equally by builder, RWA in Ggm

Manish Yadav, district town planner (enforcement), said the district administration has fixed the rate of structural audit at ₹3.50 per square foot plus GST

After deliberations with different stakeholders, including the developers and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), the district administration and the department of town and country planning (DTCP) have fixed the rate for the structural audit to be carried out by private consultants at ₹3.50 per square foot, plus tax

The administration decided to conduct structural audits of high-rise condos in the city after the partial collapse of six floors at Chintels Paradiso condominium killed two women residents on February 10, 2022. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Along with this, the district administration has also directed builders of 23 projects to submit the building plans within a week so that the audit process can be expedited. Four firms have been empanelled by the district administration to conduct the structural audits.

Manish Yadav, district town planner (enforcement), said the district administration has fixed the rate of structural audit at ₹3.50 per square foot, plus GST [goods and services tax].

“The audit firms were asking for a higher rate and seeking ₹4.20 per square foot, plus tax. After discussions, the rate was brought down as both RWAs and developers have to bear the cost equally. The developers have also been asked to submit the building plans at the earliest,” he said.

As part of the structural audit, experts will conduct both destructive and non-destructive tests and chemical analysis of structures and the concrete to assess the quality of construction and to identify deficiencies, if any, in the structure.

The administration decided to conduct structural audits of high-rise condos in the city after the partial collapse of six floors at Chintels Paradiso condominium killed two women residents on February 10, 2022.

“The experts will make recommendations for removing deficiencies,if any, and on the basis of their report, remedial actions will be taken,” said Yadav.

On Wednesday, the district administration said the cost of the structural audit will be borne equally by the developers and the respective RWA. It also stated that those buyers who have purchased their flats and have not yet taken possession will have to bear the expenses for the repair. Apart from that, the builder will have to bear the expenses of flats which are unsold.

Pravin Malik, president, Sare Home RWA, said the cost of the audit should be borne by either the government or the developer as buyers have already paid their dues.

“The cost of the flats and external development charges have been paid by buyers to get houses that were certified as fit for occupation by the town planning department. Now asking buyers to share the cost of the audit is not right,” he said.

Ripudaman Singh, former secretary, Raheja Atharva Society RAW, said it was wrong to impose the cost on homebuyers who have already paid the charges to the builder and the government. “Either the government or the developer should bear the cost of audit as the buyer has paid for the cost of flat and EDC (external development charges) dues along with stamp duty,” he said.

A senior functionary of the RWA also opposed the move. “The developer alone should be asked to pay for the audit. We have been waiting for the audit since the past several months,” he said, asking not to be named in the matter.