Give possession of plot with damages, Forum asks HUDA

PANCHKULA, May 20: Haryana Urban Development Authority has been directed to deliver the possession of a plot to an allottee along with 18 pe...

PANCHKULA, May 20: Haryana Urban Development Authority has been directed to deliver the possession of a plot to an allottee along with 18 per cent interest on the deposit and additional Rs 25,000 on account of escalation in cost of construction of house by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum.

HUDA has been directed to compensate the complainant for not handing over possession of a plot in Sector 21 even after 10 years of allotment. "Delay of more than 3 to 5 years would be patently unreasonable and a deficiency in service which HUDA extends out to the public in general and the allottees in particular," observed the forum.

Rajiv Sharma, a resident of Hoshiarpur, complained against HUDA for not handing over the possession of a plot in Sector 21. The plot had been allotted to Amar Nath and later transferred in the name of the complainant.

The complainant alleged that other allottees had been given the possession of plots after completion of development work way back in 1992 but the complainant had been denied the same.

The complainant demanded that HUDA should remove the jhuggis and unauthorised structures including a temple raised upon the plot and hand over the possession after completing development works. Claim was also staked to a sum of Rs 4,98,000 as compensation for mental harassment.

The Forum comprising its president R.C. Taneja and members Rekha Sharma and V.V. Aditya observed that HUDA was guilty of deficiency in service. The court directed HUDA to hand over the possession of the plot or another alternative plot in the same sector of equal size and location and pay interest at the rate of 18 per cent. HUDA has also been asked to pay Rs 25,000 to the allottee on account of escalation in cost of construction of house and Rs 20,000 for mental and physical harassment.