Surat: About 288 beneficiaries of the low income group (LIG) flats under the Chief Minister’s Awas Yojana at Rander-Gorat have made serious allegations against Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials for siphoning off Rs1.5 crore worth of maintenance money, returnable after formation of housing cooperative society for maintenance of LIG buildings.
The LIG beneficiaries stated that LIG-12 campus known as ‘Suman Sandhya’ was inaugurated in 2017 by deputy chief minister Nitin Patel under the Chief Minister’s Awas Yojana. There are nine buildings, each having eight storeys and a total of 288 flats. Most flats were occupied by beneficiaries after April 2017.
Before the flats were allotted, each of the 288 LIG beneficiaries had deposited Rs7.5 lakh against the cost of the flat and Rs 50,000 towards maintenance charge in SMC’s coffers. According to the housing cooperative society rule, the developer has to return the maintenance charge collected at the time of booking and allotment of flats.
Leader of LIG beneficiaries at Suman Sandhya, Harun Mota told TOI, “All the LIG buildings have completed the registration process under the Cooperative Housing Society Act. Despite reminders to SMC’s slum upgradation cell to return our deposit money, the officials are yet to take action. Without money, we cannot maintain our buildings. This is something very serious.” Mota said the civic body had sent property tax notices to all flat holders in LIG Awas Yojana and almost all had paid their dues. The property tax also included water charges. The civic body has installed water meters in each of the buildings and all the nine buildings had received notices to pay Rs 27,000 per building as water charges.
“We have already paid water charges along with property tax in November 2017. Now, the civic body wants us to pay Rs 27,000 per building as water charges separately. If this is the case then why the civic body is not giving us separate bill for water charges?” asked Mota.
SMC slum upgradation cell executive engineer HS Suthar told TOI, “Within three months of formation of housing cooperative society, we have started giving cheques for maintenance money collected at the time of booking of LIG flats. If flat owners are yet to get back their money, they should get in touch with affordable housing cell.”
