Court tells Amrapali to deposit Rs 10 cr to compensate buyers for delay

NCDRC directed the Group managing director Anil Kumar Sharma to appear at the next hearing for failing to comply with its previous order

Months after the National Company Law Tribunal admitted the insolvency petition of Bank of Baroda against Amrapali group, the realtor has been asked by a consumer court to deposit the compensation payable to 96 home buyers of its delayed Sapphire project in Noida within one month. The compensation is expected to amount to Rs 10 crore.

The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, chaired by Justice VK Jain, also directed the Amrapali Group managing director Anil Kumar Sharma to appear at the next hearing on March 7, 2018, for failing to comply with its order in July, according to Economic Times. The commission had in July directed Sharma to submit an affidavit providing timelines within which the project shall be completed.

The commission gave its order after home buyers expressed fears over the project's future as company's lead project Amrapali Ultra Homes is undergoing insolvency resolution proceedings.
 

Amrapali Ultra Homes is facing insolvency proceedings for not paying an outstanding due of Rs 56 crore to Bank of Baroda for more than a year. In total, the Amrapali group has liabilities of about Rs 3,000 crore towards the authorities and owes over Rs 1,000 crore to about 10 banks.

"Home buyers have different delay compensation amounts mentioned in their contracts, and considering the minimum delay compensation of Rs 10 per square feet, the total amount will come to around Rs 10 crore. However, the original amount will be higher," an Amrapali home buyer and one of the applicants in the case, HC Chopda told the business daily.

Amrapali said it will approach NCDRC seeking review of the order as "many complainants in the complaints filed have taken possession by issuing no objection and condoning the delay caused in handing over of possession due to land acquisition related issues, agitation of farmers and NGT banning construction work within 10 kilometres of Okhla Bird Sanctuary".