Aggrieved flat owners can rejoice

In his address,Dhavale demanded that PCMC should help the federation in resolving grievances of flat owners and residential societies by allowing it to set up an office in the PCMC headquarters. Wasting no time,the mayor said the PCMC has no problem allowing the federation to set up the office. Sharma also gave a nod and described it as an important development.

Jayant Kulkarni,legal consultant to the federation,said in Pune on third Saturday of every month the federation holds a meeting of consumers and makes effort to resolve their grievances. “But for residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad,Pune is too far. Many can’t attend the meetings despite having genuine grievances. The office in Pimpri will surely come as boon to the aggrieved consumers,” he said. Kulkarni said the federation is a powerful body whose objective is to protect consumers’ interest. It is a government recognised registered body and has a vital role to play in consumer movement,he said. “The federation will inform and create awareness among the citizens.” Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma,who was felicitated on the occasion for his initiative to protect consumer interest by making it mandatory for builders to provide free parking space,said the PCMC has done its bit for consumers’ sake. “We have issued the order for making parking free as per the norms. Now it is up to the flat buyers to remain alert and not pay for parking,” he said. The free parking decision was taken by the Sharma administration following a series of reports in The Indian Express against violations of several laid down norms. To a question from a citizen,Sharma said his administration was taking action against errant builders and would soon demolish shops that have come up illegally in basements at a couple of buildings to send out a strong message. He said just over 74 per cent of the drainage connection has been completed in town and soon there would be no discharge of untreated waste in the rivers. In his speech,Babar was critical about the functioning of the state government and the civic body.