No home no vote, say angry NCR home-buyers
NEW DELHI: Made to wait for their dream homes for years on end, aggrieved home-buyers in Noida and Greater Noida are resorting to a novel method of protest -- promising politicians that they will get no votes unless their homes are delivered. The 'No home, no vote' campaign seeks to build pressure on policymakers to act on errant developers.
According to home-buyers, many who have booked apartments in stalled projects of Amrapali, Logix group, Supertech, Jaypee Wish Town, etc, are currently paying both EMI and rent on these unrealised purchases. In NCR alone, there are at least 85,000 home-buyers who have been duped by various builders.
It is not just the question of non-delivery that is vexing home-buyers. The few flats which are being delivered have shoddy construction quality, are incomplete and without proper infrastructure support. “Buyers had been waiting for our home for over 8 years. Neither state nor centre came to our help. We are tax-paying citizens and have been duped of our life savings by these developers. Why should we vote if they are not giving us any protection? If required, we will campaign against the BJP government,” Abhishek Kumar, president, Noida Extension Flat Owners' Association (NEFOWA) said.
For instance, buyers of Logix claim that their flats have been delayed for over 8 years and even when buyers put pressure, the developer delivered 800 incomplete flats with no electricity. Despite consumer complaints, Noida Authorities paid no heed, they add.
Upset with both the government machinery and developers, these home-buyers held a protest march earlier this month and threatened to intensify their protests in the coming months.
“These are not just 85,000 odd home-buyers, but their families too, and together we can stand against the government if our demands are not met. In the future, we will intensify our protest and will join other flat owner associations in other places,” Manish Gupta, another disgruntled buyer of Logix group added. Similar concerns had been raised by home buyers of Amrapali.
“We have been paying money since 2011 and this project was supposed to have been completed by 2013, but there's no sign of that yet. Nothing happened on the ground. Developers are behind bars and they will soon get bail, but what will happen to our money? Politicians can no longer take us for granted,” said an angry Rajiv, an Amrapali Dream Valley customer.