Signature View Apartment: DDA still sleeping on matter of resolution, complains RWA

New Delhi [India], March 18 : The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of Signature View Apartments at Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area in a statement on Saturday complained that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is still sleeping on the matter of resolution regarding the redevelopment of the apartments.
"Unprecedented callousness on part of the Delhi Development Authority has jeopardised the lives of residents of 336 flats of The Signature View Apartments, located in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi," RWA members said in a statement.
"We bring to you the case of DDA residential apartments that were declared 'unsafe' by an investigative report brought out by IIT, Delhi. The flats were declared unsafe because of the poor quality of construction and use of low-grade construction material," they said.
RWA members said, "The residents of these 10-floor high rises are living in a constant shadow of fear ever since the report was made public. The buildings have visible fissures and fractures in the structure and there have been incidents of pieces of concrete falling at places."
Notably, the LG, in context, directed the DDA to appropriately resettle the residents and start work on rebuilding the flats with immediate effect.
"Sadly, DDA is still sleeping on the matter of resolution for more than 2 months in spite of the direction of LG. Though the authority has initiated an enquiry against the erring officials, it remains just an eyewash because while the residents see no respite from their troubles, the perpetrators would see no punishments as most of them have already retired," residents said.
RWA reminded the case of the Coronation park scam in which LG directed to lodge a CBI FIR and stopped the pension of all officers, but such action is missing in this case. Even DDA has not taken any action against Agency that constructed these poor and inferior Apartments.
"The residents are forced to go looking for alternate abodes, financial burden added to the unbearable mental agony. Most of the flat owners have bought the houses at EMIs and now they will have to pay an EMI and rent. Instead of the apologetic and humane view that would have eased the pain of the residents, the authority chose to enter the mode of the bargain. Facing the flat owners with options that can be termed nothing but hilarious." the statement read further.
It also said, "there are three of these so-called options available; first, DDA is willing to buy back the flats at around 60 per cent of their current market value. Completely ignoring the money spent on renovations and the interest being paid to the bank. DDA was informed of the impracticality of the offer but the response is awaited. The second offer is to exchange the flats with other DDA-made flats lying vacant in far-flung areas like Narela. DDA pointed out the fact that the flats on offer are the ones that DDA has not been able to sell despite many attempts. The authority is only trying to find out an opportunity for itself in the troubles of the residents. The third and the only presentable option is the one originally proposed by the LG that offers rent for appropriate resettlement and immediate reconstruction of the flats."
"Surprisingly, DDA in its proposal to the residents, asks the residents to vacate and hand over the society to the authority so that the flats can be rebuilt at the will of DDA. The residents are shocked at the proposal because the DDA plans to add another 180 flats to the existing number of flats. Moreover, these extra flats built on land already sold by DDA to the residents are to be retained by the authority. Such a move besides being unapologetic and shameless also sends a scary signal to all other house owners of Delhi saying that the DDA can claim once sold land. Precedence once set will make way for countless such moves in a space-scarce city."
Towards the end of the statement, RWA said that the residents of the complex are disappointed that DDA is considering destroying the green belt by removal of a large number of trees and water bodies developed at the complex.
"Equally disappointing is the fact that DDA through an external enquiry conducted by a government agency NCCBM in 2015 knew of the problem of the dangerous status of and poor construction of the complex but it did not act at all, In fact, DDA sold the flats to fresh buyers in subsequent schemes till as late as in 2019. It's a simple breach of Trust by the officers with high dignity and responsibility to provide affordable housing to all. Now we request LG to meet and look into the matter and ensure that the price of corrupt practices of DDA should not be charged from the residents", RWA members complained.