Three days after the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) in Chandigarh cancelled the licence of Mayfield Gardens and asked the senior town planner (STP) in Gurgaon to take control of the colony for administrative purposes, the real estate developers seem to have fallen in line.
The Haryana Director General, town and country planning, cancelled the licences of five builders — Sheetal International, Satsudha Investment, New India City Developers, North Star Apartments and Ajay Impex — last Sunday.
Non-payment of licence renewal fee, outstanding external development charges (EDC) and non-construction of adequate number of community buildings and ill-maintenance of the colony were stated as the reasons.
“We will deposit the due amount at the earliest. We can further comment only after we make the payment and meet the authorities concerned,” said Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, who owns North Star Apartments and has an 8% in the Mayfield Gardens township.
A total R24.72 crore licence renewal fee is due while pending EDC amounts to R17 crore.
The DTCP issued several notices in the past 1.5 years and held meetings but the builders did not pay up, forcing the government to cancel the licences.
“All our warnings fell on deaf ears and the developers kept ignoring our instructions all these years. This was intolerable,” said STP RK Singh.
{{/usCountry}}“All our warnings fell on deaf ears and the developers kept ignoring our instructions all these years. This was intolerable,” said STP RK Singh.
{{/usCountry}}According to Singh, the five developers floated as many as 25 companies in the Mayfield Gardens township. Some have been completed while some are still under construction.
Sheetal International holds 42% stake with 10 companies while New India City Developers’ stake amounts to 30% with eight companies.
“We have cancelled all 25 licences and warned people and buyers to remain alert in terms of making further payment or before entering into any property deal in Mayfield Gardens,” said the STP.
“The director general will set up a review committee once the developers make the payment. The committee would decide on the builders’ appeal and all this will take time,” added Singh.
The cancellation will mainly affect six under-construction projects — Orchid Island, Lotus Floor, Princeton Floor, Luxottica Floor, Symphony Floor and Spring Floor.