Residents of Paras Season stage protest against builder over hike in maintenance charges
Residents said the charges have been increased by ₹1,200-1,500 a month for each resident, and will help the builder earn a revenue of up to ₹70-80 lakh a year
Noida: Residents of Noida’s Paras Season high-rise society in Sector 168 staged a protest against the builder for increasing maintenance charges and other charges on November 7 without discussing the matter with residents.
Residents said the charges have been increased by ₹1,200-1,500 a month for each resident, and will help the builder earn a revenue of up to ₹70-80 lakh a year.
There are around 1,055 flats and 30 commercial shops in the Paras Season society and, according to residents, there are not enough security guards or housekeeping staff at the society despite the builder collecting maintenance charges from them.
Uttam Rana, a resident of Paras Season, said, “On November 7, a notice was found on the entrance gate board of the society in which it was mentioned that maintenance charges have been increased by 26%. The notice also stated that a new expense called common area electricity (CAE) at ₹0.22 paisa per square feet was added, which is totally unjustified and illegal as the builder had already collected common area maintenance (CAM) charge of ₹2.20 per day, and this covers various other expenses.”
“The builder has charged 18% GST [good and services tax] on the overall CAM. We are already paying garbage fee of ₹2 besides other charges on a daily basis, but despite paying a huge amount, the amenities at the society are not good,” Rana said.
“The new charges came into effect a day before they were advertised on November 7. The next day, the amount was deducted from our prepaid account without any intimation to the apartment owners’ association (AOA) or residents,” he said.
“The AOA also joined the protest on Sunday. The society’s repair work or painting has not been done over the past seven years,” he alleged.
A resident who refused to be named said, “The society does not have adequate security or housekeeping staff. They are continuously increasing maintenance charges but the amenities provided are very poor.”
A spokesperson from Paras Buildtech said, “It’s the first time in eight years that there has been a revision of maintenance charges. The information regarding the maintenance charge revision was duly shared with the AOA. The decision to revise the maintenance charge was made after careful deliberation, with the sole aim of ensuring the continual enhancement of our society’s facilities and services. This revision aligns with the maintenance charges of nearby condominiums of similar stature.”