NEW DELHI: Residents of Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar are caught in a financial bind as they await rent compensation from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), even as the agency moves ahead with demolition plans for their structurally unsafe homes.
Many families are struggling to relocate without the promised financial aid, deepening their uncertainty.
The DDA recently issued an e-tender for the demolition of the 336-flat complex, citing structural safety concerns and classifying it as a “dangerous building.”
Amrendra Singh Rakesh, president of the apartment complex’s resident welfare association (RWA), said that 111 families have already vacated their flats, yet none have received the promised financial assistance. “We were assured rent compensation upon vacating, but even after more than a hundred families moved out, no payments have been made,” he added. There was no immediate response from the DDA regarding the delay.
The Delhi HC had directed the DDA in December to ensure that residents vacate the premises within three months and receive immediate rent assistance. However, Rakesh noted that the delays persist, leaving residents in a difficult situation. Under the promised compensation plan, those in three-bedroom flats were to receive Rs 50,000 per month, while occupants of two-bedroom units were entitled to Rs 38,000.
For many, the uncertainty surrounding the payments is preventing them from moving out. Manu Dhawan, who still resides in the complex, is reluctant to vacate without a clear guarantee of financial support. “We don’t know if we will get the rent compensation.
I am already paying my home loan EMI, and my neighbours who left are still waiting for their payments,” he said. The additional burden of shifting is also a concern for Dhawan, as his wife’s workplace and daughter’s school are nearby.
Similarly, Kunal Kashyap, the sole earner in his family, is struggling to balance his mortgage payments while considering relocation. “We are living in fear, but without financial support, moving immediately isn’t feasible,” he said.
The demolition tender, floated on March 17, follows a circular from the DDA that laid out standard operating procedures for residents and the RWA to finalize a vacating date.