Home buyers in NCR are suffering through a nightmare. Many of them have invested their life’s savings in buying homes from large, branded developers, only to for these projects to stall and grind to a halt. Today, we highlight Ansal API which launched a slew of projects from 2007 to 2012, only for a majority of them to remain unfinished

10, 000 Buyers, 1 Mega Project, 0 Answers

Manoj KN, a scientist at the National Informatics Centre in Delhi booked a flat in Ansal API’s Sushant Megapolis Project in 2007. Back then he thought he was making the right choice. After all, Ansal API was one of the largest developers in Delhi/NCR and there were thousands of people investing in the company’s properties. Flash forward to today and Manoj feels he has made a tragic mistake.
“Every time I visit the site, I feel disappointed. My wait for the flat is never ending. There is farming happening in major portions of the project site. As per our investigation, Ansal API still has to acquire major chunks of the land from the farmers. I feel cheated”

That claim was verified by NDTV when we visited the site. Only a few towers have been constructed and large land parcels that had been earmarked for the project were clearly being used for agricultural activities. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 buyers and investors have invested in the Sushant Megapolis project, which is spread across 2,500 acres in Bodaki, adjacent to Greater Noida.

@yadavakhilesh .we guys need justice from you. Please help from ansal api project greater Noida. Bodaki railway pic.twitter.com/KGNwf9M30q

— Amul Baranwal (@amul_baranwal) 17 May 2016

Customers Left Angry And Clueless

The situation is almost the same for 27 of Ansal API’s projects across Greater Noida, Lucknow, Mohali and Gurgaon – all of which have been delayed by an average of 2 to 3 years while Sushant Golf City in Lucknow and Europa Residency in Sonipat have been delayed by 5 years.
When NDTV contacted the Ansal API management to understand how they plan on tackling these massive delays – the management refused to issue any answers. That is pretty much the same tactic they have been using with their customers, dodging requests to commit to deadlines, leaving thousands of people confused and angry.

@ansalapiindia Not only this ansal api lucknow branch did not respond to phone calls and needs reminders from me to release the receipt.

— महंत राजेश तिवारी (@mahant_shiv) 7 June 2016

Buyers Take The Legal Route

Fed up by the constant delays and runaround – many buyer groups have taken the legal route to get possession of their flats. Vaibhav Gaggar, Lawyer and Partner, Gaggar & Associates feels that the recent cases and judgments has set the right tone for buyers facing issues with developers. “These days buyers have several options. They can go to consumer court or file for arbitration if that is applicable. If the developer has promised something with a deadline and that is not fulfilled then this is case of breach of trust and cheating and file a case with police or EOW”

Buyers have even knocked on the door of the National Consumer Disputes and Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and numerous hearings have been lined up on the issue in the coming months.

 
Reporter         : Chankya Bhatia, NDTV
Web Editor     : Nikhil Narayan Sivadas, NDTV