Common Headache

Buyers continue to suffer as ambiguity over rules governing areas for community use remain

- Jeevan Prakash Sharma

WITH 470 flats spread across 11 residential towers and 27 sprawling acres, Parsvnath Exotica in Gurgaon’s Sector-53 looks like an urban utopia in a concrete jungle— paved roads lined by ornamental and fruit-bearing trees, well-designed playgrounds, children’s parks and lots and lots of open spaces. But despite the facade of serenity, all’s not well in this residential landscape in Millennium City. Launched in 2005, it took six more years to complete 11 towers. The flats were handed over in 2010. The three convenience stores were sold to a private player.

The jolt to the buyers came two years later, when the stores were sold off to another person who merged them and turned it into an automobile showroom the same year. The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) complained to the authorities, the district town planner, but when nothing happened, they filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The matter is sub-judice. “Even if we keep the legal provisions aside, there is no logic that justifies this type of business activities in an area which is meant for convenience shopping for residents,” says Dinesh Tondon, president of the RWA. “We have requested the high court to direct the competent authority to get the car showroom closed. The three are meant for shops only.” Parsvnath representatives, however, say they have not violated any law as Haryana allowed developers to sell or lease out commercial facilities to private players at that time, when there was no central law to regulate real estate.