The National Consumer Commission directed 20 home buyers to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Gram Panchayat for the developer to initiate the process for installing a separate meter.
The developer had earlier said that he could not install a separate meter as an NOC was required from the local authorities stating that all dues had been cleared.
The commission also asked the developer to not prevent the co-operative housing society formed by the complainants from engaging a maintenance agency.
Mumbai resident Satish Jaiswal and 19 others had booked flats in Ahmednagar made by Proview Constructions Ltd, which is involved in the development of multi-storey buildings.
The company had taken permission from the gram panchayat and constructed 507 flats and 10 shops in Ahmednagar and obtained a completion certificate in February 2011. Impressed by the amenities and facilities offered by Proview, the complainants purchased flats between 2010 to 2016.
However, though the project was completed in February 2011, the maintenance and administration were still controlled by Proview, which issued maintenance bills to the complainants from November 2013 to June 2015 and collected Rs20,000 for installation of a separate electric meter, Rs20,000 for providing power backup, Rs10,000 for providing a drinking water connection, Rs40,000 for lift, Rs37,500, for drainage, and Rs50,000 for road connection from each home buyer.
However, the builder did not provide these amenities to the complainants and instead got one electricity meter installed in its name and a few electricity meters in the names of home buyers.
The developer contended that society formation by the complainant was not in accordance with regulations and, as such, they were not willing to take separate electricity meters to their flats. It also contended that after the sale deed in done, house tax is payable to the gram panchayat, which is to issue an NOC for installation of electricity meter. It claimed that house tax of various home buyers are due and thus separate electricity meters could not be installed for them.
The commission observed that the developer denied all allegations except installation of individual electricity meters for which the complainants did not move any application with the local commissioner for the alleged deficiency in service. Despite publication of notices in newspapers, no home buyer sought to be impleaded in the complaint. “At this stage, it is not possible for us to record any finding in respect of various deficiencies,” it said and directed the home buyers to provide NOC from gram panchayat and approach local authorities about the alleged illegalities.
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