Noida’s Jaypee Wish Town residents protest ₹1.5 per sq ft shared area maintenance charges, cite possible duplication of expenses

Jaypee Wish Town residents in Noida have opposed additional shared area maintenance charges, saying monthly bills could rise from ₹6,000 to ₹10,000

Residents of Jaypee Wish Town in Noida staged a protest on October 23 against the newly announced shared area maintenance (SAM) charges of ₹1.5 per sq ft, arguing that they already pay common area maintenance (CAM) charges.

Residents of Jaypee Wish Town in Noida have raised concerns over the additional shared area maintenance (SAM) charges levied over and above the common area maintenance (CAM) charges. (HT ARCHIVE)

Residents said the additional levy raised concerns about possible duplication of expenses. “Apartment owners are currently paying CAM charges at ₹3.2 per square foot. The Suraksha Group has introduced SAM charges of ₹1.5 per square foot. We have met Noida authority CEO Krishna Karunesh and requested his intervention to revoke this unlawful levy,” Brijesh Singh, president of the Jaypee Kosmos Apartment Owners’ Association (AOA), said.

Suraksha Group is the company responsible for the upkeep of Jaypee Wish Town.

Subsequently, the Noida CEO has asked officer on special duty (OSD) Kranti Shekhar to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

OSD Shekhar said, “We will look into it and take appropriate action.”

Residents said the additional charge would increase their monthly maintenance bills from around ₹6,000 to ₹10,000. Flat owners in sectors 131, 132, 133 and 134 have also objected to the levy, alleging that it was introduced without consulting residents.

A Suraksha Group official said the company recently assessed the operational and maintenance expenses associated with Wish Town’s shared areas and decided to levy the additional charge.

“The SAM charges will be applicable from November 2026 and will contribute towards the operation, maintenance and upkeep of common township-level infrastructure and shared services, including sewage treatment plants (STPs), water treatment plants (WTPs), borewells and associated water infrastructure, streetlights, horticulture, landscaping, roads and related infrastructure,” the official said.

Noida’s Jaypee Wish Town residents question extra maintenance charges for shared infra

Residents, however, questioned why they should bear the additional cost of maintaining roads and other shared infrastructure that are also used by people from adjoining commercial, rural and industrial areas. They said the movement of trucks and ongoing construction activities were contributing to the deterioration of roads, landscaped areas and other infrastructure, and argued that residents should not be made to bear the additional maintenance burden.

Notably, Uttar Pradesh Apartment (Promotion of Construction, Ownership and Maintenance) Act, 2010, governs the management and maintenance of apartment complexes and the allocation of common expenses. Section 18 provides for the allocation of common expenses among apartment owners according to their undivided interest in common areas and facilities. However, the Act does not expressly provide for a separate charge called Shared Area Maintenance (SAM).