Gurugram: Vipul Lavanya residents protest upkeep fee hike

GURUGRAM: Residents of Vipul Lavanya in Sector 81 have approached the authorities against the developer for abruptly increasing the quarterly maintenance charges of the housing society without their consent.
In a letter to the department of town and country planning (DTCP) on Friday, the residents alleged that the developer had increased the upkeep charges from Rs 2.50 per sq ft to Rs 3.99 per sq ft from this quarter without prior consultation even as they were forced to live in unacceptable conditions.
“When the internal roads of the society are crumbling and plaster from the walls are falling off, we need the builder to repair them and not to increase the upkeep fees. The security guards of the society frequently go on strike because of non-payment of their salaries, which is also a big concern for us,” said Amit Shekhar, RWA president.
“The condition of the society is deteriorating with each passing day. We have complained to the builder several times, but no action has been initiated yet. We received an email on January 10 from the developer about the increase in upkeep fee. This is unacceptable,” he added.
“We have requested the developer to provide us the basis for such a hike. The builder has not yet responded to our several emails. On the other hand, the services of the society are deteriorating day by day,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts, the Vipul Lavanya management could not be contacted.
However, DTCP officials said they would look into the issue. “We will speak to both the parties to arrive at a amicable solution,” said a senior official. The society has around 480 flats and some 400 families are currently living there.