The builder had also asked for Rs 1,430 per sq yard as external electrification charges from buyers, which was also denied.The UP RERA chairperson has passed an order staying the escalation of development costs by the firm responsible for building Wave HiTech city, which is part of Ghaziabad’s Hi-Tech Smart City project from 2009. The extra charges demanded amounted to more than Rs 5,000 crore.
Uppal Chaddha Hitech Developers Pvt Ltd was to build the township project under a public-private partnership inked in 2009. Over the years, the peripheral development charges rose from Rs 350 per sq yard to Rs 850 per sq yard, which was contested by buyers.
At a hearing on August 8, UP RERA chairperson Rajeev Kumar had observed: “The builders could not produce the chargesheet explaining the rise… nor for the Rs 350 per sq yard charge for that matter.”
On October 10, the chairperson stayed the escalation of charges, allowing only an addition of inflation charges to the external development charges, raising it to Rs 418 per sq yard from Rs 350 per sq yard. The order said the firm’s demand was unreasonable.
The builder had also asked for Rs 1,430 per sq yard as external electrification charges from buyers, which was also denied.
A spokesperson of Wave HiTech city said, “By judgment dated October 10, 2019, the honourable RERA authority has upheld the terms of allottee arrangement. Other charges like water conservation, telephone, etc should be charged… after disclosing same to the purchaser who are entitled to pay…when changed by the builder on pro-rata basis.”