News: Seven years gone, no Gurugram civic bodys takeover now DLF hikes upkeep fee-25-11-2023
: Chief minister announced that maintenance of DLF 1 to 3 would be taken over by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) in 2016. Seven years on, takeover of the three licensed colonies is still pending as the developer, DLF, has missed eight deadlines for the areas’ handover, the latest being June 2022.
Instead, it has now increased common area maintenance charges by 50 paise per square yard, which amounts to a hike of Rs 1,500 per quarter for a plot measuring 1,000 square yards.
These areas were to be taken over by the municipal corporation after DLF completed deficient infrastructure work, but this hasn’t been done yet. DLF, meanwhile, has claimed that the department of town and country planning (DTCP) is yet to issue a completion certificate for all three areas, without which takeover is not possible.
DLF representatives have not responded to TOI’s queries when contacted.
Residents said the three colonies received notices of the upkeep fee hike earlier this week, but the developer is hardly providing any maintenance services. Baljeet Rathee, president of DLF Qutab Enclave Residents’ Welfare Association said they have written to DLF over the hike.
“MCG has provided around 35 workers per colony and are providing sanitation facilities. We have a water deficit of about 40% and hapless residents have no choice but to depend on private water tankers for their day-to-day needs. In this dire situation, it is MCG that is constructing a 27-lakh-litre water tank in one block each of DLF 2 and 3. Streetlights are also being maintained by MCG, but DLF is seeking more money,” he said
He also said that several parks in the three colonies are in bad shape, while some are being maintained by the residents themselves by contributing funds. MCG has upgraded some parks by installing gyms, canopies, lights and tracks, Rathee added.
According to sources, construction is going on in residential plots of these colonies as the owners are constructing stilt parking areas and additional floors, but the upgrade of infrastructure is stuck due to the delay in takeover.
“The condition of parks is deteriorating, while sewage and water supply infrastructure are insufficient for the current population. When the councillors concerned reach out to MCG officials, they cite deficient infrastructure as the reason for delay in takeover,” a DLF 2 resident said.In July last year, MCG had filed an affidavit saying it is in the process of taking over DLF 1-3.
On the directions of CM Manohar Lal Khattar, DTCP had announced takeover of eight licensed colonies — DLF 1, 2 and 3, Sushant Lok 1, South City 1 and 2, Suncity and Palam Vihar — in 2016. After this, three more orders were passed in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In December 2020, MCG councillors across the city took up the issue of colony transfer with the Haryana chief minister and urged him to expedite the process. The councillors and the residents had alleged that the process of colony transfer was going on at a very slow pace. All colonies except DLF 1, 2 and 3 were gradually taken over by MCG.
After the takeover, the civic infrastructure issues of these colonies — which were being taken care of by the respective developers — came under the jurisdiction of MCG. Residents no longer have to pay maintenance fees to the developers, as the civic body is offering services and collecting taxes.
