HC asks Panel to verify list of Affordable Flats built by Hiranandani Group

HC-asks-panel-to-verify-list-of-affordable-flats-built-by-hiranandani-group

In February 2012, on a PIL, the high court ordered Hiranandani to build about 1,511 apartments of 40 sq mts (430  sq ft). And 1,592 apartments of 80 sq mts (861 sq ft) before starting any further construction.

On Wednesday, the Bombay high court ordered a committee to find out how many flats built by Hiranandani group. In the Powai Area Development Scheme following its 2017 order, giving it time to complete construction.

The order by Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Judge Girish Kulkarni was passed at Hiranandani’s request for an extension of the October 2017 deadline. To complete construction of four wings of Castle Rock, five wings of Regent Hill, three wings of Atlantis, and two buildings.- Sorrento and Maple.

PIL aganist Hiranandani-

In February 2012, on a PIL, the high court ordered Hiranandani to build about 1,511 apartments of 40 sq mts (430  sq ft). And 1,592 apartments of 80 sq mts (861 sq ft) before starting any further construction.

A group of activists Kamlakar Satve, Rajendra Thacker, and Medha Patkar filed a PIL and said, Hiranandani signed a lease of 230 acres of land in 1986 in a tripartite agreement. with the state and the MMRDA to build affordable housing. However, the petitioners claimed that the apartments combined into 4,000 to 5,000 sq ft apartments and sold at higher prices.

At the request of the developer, HC in October 2017 granted a deadline of June 2021 for completion of construction. It also set up a committee to review the developer’s approval. The developer sought cancellation of the postponement and a major extension of the deadline from January 2022 to June 2023. It cited Covid-19 as the reason for the delay.

Hiranandani’s Senior advocate, Milind Sathe, said, most of the apartments were ready, but the balance could not be restored due to the pandemic. Further, he said, in October 2017, approximately 886 apartments of 80 sq mt left unconstructed. Of these, 844 flats built, 43 remained. Out of 1,511 flats with an area of 40 sq mt, 403 were built.

Gayatri Singh, Sumedha Rao, and Mihir Desai, petitioners’ advocates–disputed the facts and figures. They claimed that the commercial construction made in breach of the 2012 order, and even after October 2017, they consolidated and sold the apartments for which BMC had issued a notice in 2020.

The judges then reconstituted the previous committee and ordered it to visit the site and report back two weeks later. “Find out if all the numbers are correct,” the Chief Justice said.

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