BENGALURU: A city-based realtor had to pay compensation for making residents wait for two long years to supply Cauvery water to their apartments. According to the order passed by the Fourth Additional District Consumer Forum, Hoysala Projects on Infantry Road had to pay Rs 60,000 to the Hoysala Commanders Retreat Apartment Owners Welfare Association in Bhadrappa Layout.
The said amount includes Rs 50,000 compensation and Rs 10,000 litigation expenses. The forum comprising president RK Prathibha and Member N R Roopa recently passed the order to that effect.
“Admittedly, Hoysala Projets has paid Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) charges and obtained the No Objection Certificate (NoC). The Hoysala projects had collected Rs 1.50 lakh from each apartment owner towards electricity charges but it had not disputed about receiving money. Though it had received the amount from the apartment owners, it had not remitted the said amount to BWSSB and kept the amount with it”, the forum said.
Interestingly, the said amount was paid to BWSSB and an NoC was also obtained in 2014, but only after filing of this complaint before the consumer forum. However, the matter was kept pending only for the purpose of compensation. The amount was collected by the realtor for providing water supply from BWSSB to the apartments inclusive of storage and pumping and metering of overhead tanks.
The realtor claimed that the amount was not paid due to discrepancy and hence it had sought clarification on pro-rata charges. After continuous follow-ups, on May 20, 2014, BWSSB has issued revised demand note to pay an amount towards pro-rata charges and same was paid. Therefore, it has no intention to cause delay, it said.