Taking serious note of unnecessary delay in completing the housing scheme 2010 for D Block Vasant Kunj, lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has ordered the Delhi Development Authority to suspend engineers and other employees involved in the project. The allottees, who have invested lakhs on the flats, have been desperately waiting for the area to become habitable for over a year now. While Ganga Block in D-6 is still under construction, a few families have moved into Y-1 Block in Yamuna Apartments. This housing scheme has missed several deadlines and has been put under the ‘sick’ category as the project has missed three deadlines.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the lieutenant-Governor has called a high-level meeting with DDA officials last week to review the ongoing work on Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati and Narmada housing scheme of the authority. Expressing displeasure over the delay, the lieutenant-Governor has directed DDA Vice-Chairman
D Diptivilas to take action against erring officials and suspend them. The work on Ganga and Yamuna project is yet to be completed despite missing several deadlines.
On the other hand, officials associated with the project say that they have been handed over a sick project and action should be taken against those who handled this project in its earlier stages. They further alleged that the construction company Brahmaputra Infrastructure Private limited should also be held responsible for delay and they are providing sufficient manpower to complete the project. DDA sources say the 476 flats in Ganga Block in Vasant Kunj, D-6, and 217 flats in Block G2, E1 and F1 of Dwarka Sector 18-B will not be completed before the year-end. While the brochure had mentioned these flats were being constructed, it was believed that they would be completed by now as work started nearly a decade ago.
The flats were part of the 2010 housing scheme. The allottees were initially told that the flats would be ready by December 2011 but the deadline was extended twice.
One of the allottees said that the wait was just too long and we decided to shift as someone has to make a start. “Apart from hygiene, our biggest concern is the lack of security. DDA has to construct the main gate for the apartments. There is no guard at night. The water supply is erratic. lift is yet to be operational,” he said.
The staircases are dangerous with the railings missing in many places. Some of the steps are broken and one misstep can be fatal. The dangling wires can pose a threat especially in monsoon. There is no fencing and with no main gate yet, anyone can just walk in.
Allottees allege that even the basement got flooded during the recent downpour. lifts are also a concern. Each block has 14 lifts, some of which are not functional and want a lift operator as well as proper maintenance; the allottees find it risky to use them. Though families have started settling in, the area is far from habitable. Muck and filth surround the flats as construction work is in full swing.