Signature View Apartment: Residents Welfare Association thanks Delhi LG over redevelopment order

New Delhi [India], January 24 : Hours after Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered Delhi Development Authority to redevelop Signature View Apartments at Mukherji Nagar, the residents of the apartments expressed gratitude to the Delhi LG for the decision.
"We, the residents of Signature View Apartments, Mukherji Nagar in North Delhi, are thankful to the Delhi LG VK Saxena, for ordering the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to redevelop the entire apartment complex and rehabilitate the residents in the interim. A 2021-2022 study conducted by IIT Delhi at the behest of DDA had found the building to be structurally unsafe, with a recommendation to 'vacate and dismantle' the same," the Residents Welfare Association said in a press release.
With this decision, the LG has offered respite to the 336 families who had been struggling to convey the threats that loom over their daily lives, to various government departments.
The Signature View Apartment Complex, built during the 2007-2010 period, was allotted to the residents in 2012. Soon after starting 2012-13 only, the residents noticed the condition of the building deteriorating rapidly and began flagging their concerns to DDA officials.
RWA said that the residents fear for their lives in the complex as buildings show signs of fast deterioration and chipping and falling of concrete in these high-rises are reported, which are potential life threats. Reasons for it, as indicated in the IIT Delhi study are poor construction quality, poor quality control during construction and inferior raw material used.
Delhi LG has also ordered the "immediate initiation of Criminal proceedings under the relevant provisions/rules, against the contractors/builders/ construction agencies and a vigilance inquiry to identify all officers/ officials responsible for lapses/misconduct in the construction of said buildings within 15 days and initiation of subsequent criminal action against the defaulting officials accordingly."
"We are grateful to the LG to have acted on our concerns and expressed clearly that the curious case of Signature View Apartments should serve as a message to all officials and contractors that no laxity, misconduct or collusion will be tolerated and that the residents of the City are supreme," the release added.
The LG overruled the DDA that was inter alia, shirking its responsibility by maintaining on file that, "These allotments are not part of Social Welfare Schemes; that there is no law which makes DDA responsible for building in perpetuity, or even in the period in question or it is not the duty of DDA to maintain the buildings."
He has said that "apparently, there has been no application of mind on the part of Legal Dept. of DDA and the position taken by the DDA, not only runs contrary to the very basic tenet of responsibility and empathy, essentially inherent in the functioning of any service provider - especially so, a Govt organisation but also runs in contravention of the principle of natural justice, since, the DDA had charged the consumer in the name of "Maintenance Charges for 30 years."
Writing to the DDA on a file related to this matter, "Hon'ble Lt. Governor, after going through these contentions of the Legal Dept., has disagreed with the position taken by DDA. It is not right to state that DDA has no responsibility in the instant matter. Viewing all the facts available in the matter, Hon'ble Lt. Governor has taken a considered view that DDA must step in in this case in the larger public interest."
The LG also directed VC DDA to draw up a redevelopment and rehabilitation plan for the complex, in consultation with the RWA.
The RWA expressed that it is hopeful that the officials of the DDA will show efficiency and empathy in following the orders of the honourable LG and will pay heed to the monetary as well as the emotional loss that the residents of Signature View Apartments may end up incurring during the execution of said redevelopment.
Residents in its meeting have put forward their expectation that they are adequately compensated for expenses they incurred in furnishing and improvement of flats, the rent they may have to bear till new flats are constructed and furnished, for metal trauma they are undergoing apart from their expenses in relocation for the period of redevelopment, RWA said.
"We expect and request cooperation and support from DDA officials including Vice Chairman DDA and consider the LG's intervention as a blessing from the skies above," the RWA further stated.