The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commisison in New Delhi has ordered compensation to a resident of CIDCO-built Millennium Towers in Navi Mumbai for the housing complex’s non-functional clubhouse.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commisison in New Delhi has ordered compensation to a resident of CIDCO-built Millennium Towers in Navi Mumbai for the housing complex’s non-functional clubhouse.
Last month, the commission upheld earlier directions from the Thane district consumer forum and Maharashtra state consumer commissions and ordered that Haresh Makwana, a resident of the complex, should be paid Rs50,000 as compensation for ‘mental harassment’. The commission also said that the Rs25,000 that was collected from him as the club’s membership fee should be returned to him. The compensation will be paid by the residents federation that collected the fee. The national commission also levied a fine of Rs25,000 that is to be deposited with the legal aid cell of the district forum.
When CIDCO, which is largely known for building utilitarian housing in the satellite city, announced the high-rise housing complex with facilities like swimming pool, there was a scramble to buy flats there. Purchasers were promised a club house with swimming pool, jacuzzi, guest rooms and other facilities. But most of the 1200 families that moved into the complex after 2005 found the club house vandalised and closed.
CIDCO officials denied any responsibility saying that they were not responsible for the management of the clubhouse. In September 2008, a group called Millennium Towers Federation/Millennium Towers Societies Private Limited formed by some residents collected between Rs25,000 and Rs30,000 from families as membership fees for the club. Makwana paid Rs 25,000 in September 2008. A total of Rs1.75 crores is estimated to have been collected from the residents this way.
While the national commission upheld Millennium Towers Federation the compensation amount for ‘mental harassment’ and refund of membership fee, the commission also ordered the federation a fine of Rs 25,000 as ‘exemplary cost’. This money is to be deposited in the legal aid of district forum.
The federation has already deposited around Rs82,000 with the district forum.An office-holder in the Millennium Towers Federation said, “We are having a meeting to decide what to do with the case. We are in favour of settling the matter as soon as possible.”
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