Noida Extension buyers protest ‘harassment by builders’

GREATER NOIDA: Forced by the absence of any word on the status of their bookings and continuous "harassment by developers" in the form of demand letters and cancellation threats, hundreds of homebuyers who have invested in the Noida Extension area took to the streets on Sunday morning. The buyers first gathered at the Noida Extension roundabout and from there went to the offices of several developers seeking, among other things, that the "unethical cancellation letters" issued to them be withdrawn.

The buyers have also written to the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (CREDAI) seeking reprieve. The homebuyers allege that considering that the Greater Noida Master Plan 2021 is likely to get approval soon and, construction in Noida Extension will resume, several developers have been making unfair demands for extra payments. They have been threatening to cancel their bookings if they don't pay up.

The buyers gathered at the Noida Extension roundabout to present their grievances. They have also sent the details of the demands and cancellation letters, etc issued by several developers to CREDAI seeking clear guidelines regarding their troubles, said Abhishek Kumar of the buyers' umbrella body, Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA). The buyers have also scheduled a meeting with the Greater Noida Authority CEO, Rama Raman, next week to seek his help.

"We are trying to knock on all possible doors to gather help and secure some action against the erring developers. Not only are they trying to extract the last penny from our life's savings, but if any buyer raises the slightest of objections some developers respond by cancelling his or her booking. This is just not fair and such exploitation must be brought to the notice of the authorities, the state and CREDAI," said Devender Kumar, another buyer.

Meanwhile, following the buyers' protest on Sunday, the NCR wing of CREDAI has assured them of action. It has promised to set up an official meeting of the buyers with all developers of the Noida Extension area to find an "amicable way out."

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com