Mayfield Garden builders booked for violating norms

The police have booked a consortium of developers under Section 10 of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, for allegedly violating norms

 The police have booked a consortium of developers under Section 10 of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, for allegedly violating norms and not completing infrastructure and development in Mayfield Garden. The police filed an FIR based on a complaint from the department of town and country planning (DTCP) that the developers of the plotted colony that came up over 327 acres failed to lay and execute internal development works as per the approved layout plan and service plan estimates.

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A case in this regard was registered at the Sector 50 police station against a consortium of five developers who had taken licenses from 1994 to 2009, the police said.

The police complaint lodged by the DTCP also alleged that the developers had completely disowned the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep of services in the colony and thus violated the agreement with the department and the buyers. “The builders have deserted the colony, disowning all the responsibilities of delivering essential basic civic amenities. This irresponsible act of builders continues to cause residents unwanted suffering and agony,” the complaint lodged by DTCP stated.

Dharamvir Yadav, a former RWA president who had raised the issue of alleged inaction by the developers, said that the residents had complained to Lokayukta Court on many counts. “The licenses were cancelled in 2012 but renewed after the developers agreed to work. In 2014, the Lokayukta had inspected the colony and this case now is a culmination of our long resistance,” he said.

Residents said that the developer had not set up the 66 KVA grid station, and sewage and water supply system were also in poor shape. The immediate reasons for which a police complaint was lodged against the consortium by the DTCP include non-payment of external development charges to the tune of ₹123 crore, and that 28 of 32 bank guarantees have not been renewed despite notices. DTCP officials further said that the developers have failed to renew the revised service plan estimate for Mayfield Garden and the required fire safety equipment has not been installed.

RS Bhath, district town planner with the additional charge of enforcement, said that despite repeated notices, the developers were not providing any satisfactory answers. “A notice for cancellation of the license has already been issued against the developer. I was directed to get a case registered against the developer for violations under Section 10 of the Haryana Urban Areas Act, 1975,” he said.

A representative of the developers, however, refuted the allegations and said that this FIR, which was lodged on February 11, repeats the same issues for which a show-cause notice had already been issued to them by the DTCP. “A hearing was called on February 12. The FIR has been lodged beyond reason. We have approached the court and all the issues raised in our petition have been asked to be looked at afresh without being swayed by previous orders by the court,” Ajay Shokeen, project manager, Mayfield Garden, said.