The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Township allottees a worried lot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Township allottees a worried lot

By V. Geetanath

HYDERABAD, DEC. 7. Hyderabad is not Singapore. The truism is slowly dawning upon allottees of the Singapore Township of the Andhra Pradesh Housing Board nearing completion at Pocharam, on the outskirts of the Capital.

Lured by world class amenities promised, they had flocked to book the flats but now are having second thoughts.

As the delivery date comes closer (the scheduled date was this month and now has been put off to March next year) there is still no sign of the state-of-the-art community centre, shopping, mall, club house, schools, health centre or playgrounds at the site.

Allottees are also sore with the APHB for demanding extra money for parking and piped gas supply to the flats.

Singapore in Hyderabad -- promised the colourful brochure when the APHB announced the venture in association with the Singapore Housing Development Board subsidiary - Cesma. Work for the first phase of 1,000 flats (600 HIG costing Rs. 9 lakhs each and 400 MIG costing Rs. 7 lakhs each) began in March 2003 to be completed within 18 months. Construction of 1,000 more units was started and clubbed into the first phase.

People started paying instalments from May 2002 after they were selected for allotment with the assurance that separate lots would be taken for flat numbers.

Demand notices

After paying substantial amounts, they were in for a shock when demand notices were sent by the APHB seeking payment of Rs. 40,000 per flat for covered parking and Rs. 15,000 for open space plus Rs. 10,100 per flat for piped cooking gas supply by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

"We were assured ample parking and not told of any payment. It is mandatory to provide one parking space for 100 sq. mt flat. They have increased the number of flats and are citing space crunch. We were also not told of piped gas," say M. Dayakar Naidu and M. Adinarayana, allottees.

"We are retired personnel. We have put in our savings and took loans for purchasing flats. We are not in a position to pay anything extra," say G.C. Adik, N. Chandrasekhar and others.

They allege that construction too is not of quality in some aspects. Under the aegis of `Singapore Township Flat Owners Association', they approached the APHB for redressing their problems. "But we were told of the high demand for flats so we could either withdraw or approach the courts."

APHB assurance

The APHB officials say it is "presumptuous to assume parking is free when only 1,200 slots are available for 2,080 flats" and that it was commercially vogue to sell parking space separately. "We will provide necessary amenities to flat owners by the scheduled date.

The community centre and club will take some more time. Temporary facilities will be given for a school and a provision store. A private agency will take care of maintenance," says a senior official.

The 80-acre township area (678 acres total) was fenced at a cost of Rs. 1.8 crores with work progressing on internal roads, lighting and sewerage.

"The township is a high growth zone and many have paid up without complaints. Only a small section are unhappy," he claims.

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