NEW DELHI: Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict ordering demolition of Supertech’s twin towers, homebuyers who had booked flats in the Emerald Court project on Tuesday asserted that authorities must sensibly approve projects to avoid harassment of home buyers.
Similarly, Resident Welfare Associations of other housing projects in Noida and Greater Noida slammed the local development authority for colluding with the builder. “Authorities should act upon it (SC order) and the towers should immediately be razed.
We are happy that our long drawn legal battle has borne fruit. Truth has prevailed. In future, officials should judiciously approve project plans as per the rules and regulations. Had they not approved the plan violating the rules, this wouldn’t have happened,” said Shrikant Sharma, a member of the legal committee of Emerald Court, which contested the case against the developer.
According to the residents, the project has 660 flats across 15 towers but work started in 2009 on the two towers, which was in violation of building by-laws. When the issue was flagged, they added, it was told informed to them that the construction was part of a separate project.
In 2012, the residents moved the Allahabad High Court, which ordered the demolition of the two towers two years later but the realtor challenged the judgment in the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the top court upheld the judgment saying it does not deserve any interference. It gave orders that the twin towers be demolished within three months and all demolition expenses were borne by Supertech, which said it would seek a review of the order.
“Our faith in the judiciary has strengthened further. We had knocked all other doors over the years as we went against the influential builder,” said Sharma. Rachana Jain, another resident of Emerald Court, said the top court’s order is a victory for all residents, who stood against wrong being done.
Himanshu Sharma (name changed), awaiting possession of a flat which he had booked in another project being developed by Supertech, said that the development is a ‘much awaited lesson’ to the realtor. Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA) president Rajiva Singh hailed the SC order as ‘a landmark judgment’ and a great win not only for the Emerald Court’s RWA team but the families of the entire community of home buyers.