GDA sets up special cell to handle disputes

After the introduction of the Apartment Act in Uttar Pradesh and the rise in disputes between apartment owners and realtors, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has formed a cell to resolve such issues.

GDA officer on special duty (OSD) D.P. Singh said with the implementation of the Apartment Act, 2011, disputes have risen between apartment owners and real estate developers.

Both parties are regularly complaining against each other and taking up the time of the officers. And in the absence of a proper mechanism, the aggrieved parties are also being deprived of justice.

GDA vice chairman Santosh Yadav has now formed a special cell to deal with such problems.

The cell will be headed by chief architect and town planner S.C. Gaur. A zone in-charge and an officer from the property department will be part of the three-member cell.

If the aggrieved parties are not satisfied with the cell's decision, they can appeal before another OSD, R.P. Pandey.

If they are not satisfied at the first appellate authority, they could go in appeal before the vice chairman whose judgment would be final at the authority level, said D.P. Singh.

According to the Apartment Act, with the sale of flats the realtors had to simultaneously form the apartment owners' association. The registration of the association also lies with the realtors.

Further, the realtors had to fulfil the commitments made in their brochures. After the formation of the associations, the GDA witnessed a sudden spurt in disputes between the realtors and the associations.