Yeida recommends suspending officials for issuing OC without checks

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Friday cancelled the occupancy certificate (OC) issued to a group housing society and recommended departmental action against officials from four departments who helped issue the certificate

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Friday cancelled the occupancy certificate (OC) issued to a group housing society and recommended departmental action against officials from four departments who helped issue the certificate.

Yeida recommends suspending officials for issuing OC without checks

According to Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer (CEO), Yeida, the officials allegedly worked in connivance with a real estate developer to issue the OC without proper site inspection and other necessary civil work.

The files were reviewed by the CEO after a resident complained of delays in the Beetle Lap group housing project in Sector 25 developed by Royal Home Town Planners. According to officials, the authority approved the layout of the project with four towers and 430 flats in Sector 25 under the special development zone scheme (Jaypee Sports City) along the Yamuna Expressway in May 2014.

The developer allegedly subdivided the project into two and got them separately registered with the Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP Rera). Homebuyers were promised to be given possession of flats by December 2017, but after the implementation of the UP-Rera Act in 2016, the builder changed the delivery timelines to June and December 2019.

Homebuyers said that the developer not only extended the date of project delivery illegally but also got the OC issued without providing basic facilities like electricity, water and drainage. Rameshwar D Gupta, general secretary, Beetle Lap Flat Buyers Association, said, “The authority issued a partial occupancy certificate for phase one (Tower A and C) of the project, entailing 224 flats, in March 2019. Based on that certificate, the developer offered possession letters to buyers. Buyers were supposed to pay their pending amounts on possession, but those who did not pay were charged a penalty interest of 18% by the builder.”

Yeida later issued another temporary OC with a two-month validity for phase two of the project (B and D) in November 2020. After a delay of three years and work not getting completed, homebuyers first formed a buyers’ association in June 2022 and then lodged complaints with the state government and Yeida. Two consultants were appointed to conduct a site inspection and submit their reports to the CEO. The consultants conducted an inspection on September 14 and found the allegations to be true.

CEO Singh said, “I have recommended departmental action as well as suspension of all officials involved in carrying out site inspections before issuing OCs for Beetle Lap society. Moreover, the OCs have been cancelled.”

According to homebuyers, the work within the society is now nearly 98% complete after several complaints and any new inquiry or cancellation of the OC will only incur losses for them. The onus, they said, now lies on the developer and government authorities to provide civic infrastructure in the society.

“The builder incurred delays earlier but the work is now complete and we are working on getting our flats registered. This society comes under Jaypee Sports City and Jaypee was supposed to provide road connectivity and other infrastructure. The builder has sent them over 80 emails and several reminders but to no avail,” Manoj Walia, Beetle Lap Flat Buyers’ Association, said. He added that a mail was also sent to Yeida about two months ago regarding other infrastructure work like putting up electricity pillars/

The developers could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.