NBCC Green View buyers write to housing minister, seek rent relief extension

GURUGRAM: Homebuyers of Green View in Sector 37D have written to Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, seeking directions to the builder, NBCC, to keep paying their rents until a settlement is reached between the two parties.

The society was deemed structurally unsafe by the district administration in February this year, and all residents had to vacate their flats by March. By July, NBCC had put forward its first compensation package to the homebuyers, saying that it will refund their original purchase amounts – in the range of Rs 65 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore – along with the sum spent on registry.

The buyers rejected this plan, saying real estate prices had jumped by now, and they also have to pay EMIs for flats they can no longer live in. Subsequently, the builder said in September it will stop paying rent – Rs 21,000 to 30,000 per month to each family — after November 31.

On Tuesday, the homebuyers wrote to the Union minister, urging for his intervention. “We, therefore, request you to direct NBCC to continue to pay rent at the already approved rate till the matter of buy-back and refund is amicably settled. Further, NBCC may be directed to reconsider their refund proposal to include interest, registration charges, stamp duty, cost of interior work which has already been assessed by NBCC and suitable compensation at the earliest,” the letter said.

The project, launched in 2010, has 923 flats, of which 260 had been sold. Possession of flats began in 2017.

Deepak Jain, a homebuyer who bought his flat in Green View in 2010, said he had to rent out an apartment at a neighbouring society after being told to leave their home earlier this year. “There is complete chaos. There is no certainty if the builder is going to keep its promise and refund our money appropriately or will keep us hanging like this. There is already the burden of EMIs and now, I may have to bear the cost of rent as well. How is it justified that the developer offers to refund the amount I had invested 12 years ago. I won’t get any home at that rate right now,” said Jain, who is also the treasurer of Green View AOA.

An NBCC India official said “not all buyers had rejected the settlement plan”. “Some of the buyers have already agreed to accept our proposal. We are taking cognizance of everything,” he said.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav said the buyers did not agree with the developer’s offer. “I have spoken to the CMD of NBCC and asked them either to extend the rent payment or give an offer which is acceptable to the buyers. In addition to this, I have taken this matter to the officials of the ministry of housing and urban affairs as well. Hopefully, this will be sorted out soon.”