Home owners at housing project offer over 150 flats for isolating Covid-19 patients

The home owners of a delayed project in Gurugram sector 33 have proposed to the government to complete and use over 150 flats as isolation centres for treating Covid-19

The home owners of a delayed project in Gurugram sector 33 have proposed to the government to complete and use over 150 flats as isolation centres for treating Covid-19 patients.

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An association of homeowners in Unitech’s ‘The Residences’ said that in view of the increase in the number of Covid-19 patients in the city and need for such facilities, they were ready to offer flats located in the three towers of G Block. However, these flats are only 95 per cent complete and the pending work, which includes water, sewage and electricity connections and bathrooms, can be done jointly completed by the owners and the government, the association said.

The project was launched in 2008 and was to be delivered in 2012. There are around 1300 flats in the entire project out of which 50 per cent are occupied, the association added.

Suraj Singh, who represents the G block residents, had sent the proposal in this regard to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday. The home buyers will share the cost of completing the necessary construction work.

“We are ready to offer 156 such flats to the authorities to be used for treating Covid-19 patients. Our estimate is that 400 good quality rooms with attached facilities could be made available if the offer is accepted,” said Singh.

The total amount needed to complete these flats is around ₹6 crore and the buyers are ready to contribute ₹1.56 crore, and six weeks later contribute ₹83 lakh more. “The 156 families of G Block in The Residences have also decided that we will not ask for possession of our homes this fiscal i.e till 31st March 2021 and that it can be used by the Government of Haryana till then,” the letter to the CM said.

“The buyers of these flats are not residents of the project and these towers are separate and secluded, and there would be no problem for other residents,” he said.

In January, the central government had offered to take over the company and complete the flat; this was accepted by the Supreme Court.

Suraj Singh said that the offered flats could be made operational in a matter of a few weeks using the existing material and infrastructure. “It is also located near Subash Chowk and health care experts from top private hospitals that are nearby can come to treat patients. The stranded migrant labour in the city can also get livelihood in the project,” he added.

To boost the number of beds available for quarantine of Covid-19 patients, the Gurugram administration last week had said that it was working out a plan with RWAs to set up quarantine facilities in condominiums and community centres wherever these are feasible.

Ashok Sangwan, divisional commissioner, Gurugram, said on Friday that 400 isolation centres in city; urban and rural areas are being created to ensure adequate quarantine facilities are available to treat the patients. “At present we have 4500 hospital beds available for treatment of patients and the numbers are being increasd further,” he said.

Despite repeated attempts, the district magistrate could not be reached for comment.