Over 250 flats owners in Vyankatesh Nagar, one of the biggest residential colonies in East Nagpur, are running from pillar to post for mutation of their flats in City Survey records despite no fault of theirs.
According to secretary of Vyankatesh Nagar Owners Association Suraj Singh Thakur, who is also BJP city vice-president, “Over 250 families are facing several hardships because of “irregularities” by the developer and red-tapism on part of concerned government departments.”
Thakur said the state government had acquired over 38 acres land in Nandanwan under ULC Act, but the same as returned to land owners under Talegaon Dabhade scheme. A developer decided to construct a housing scheme there with 26 towers comprising 416 flats and 110 twin-house bungalows in 2003 on the basis of power of attorney from all 29 land owners.
The Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) sanctioned layout and building plan of the scheme in 2003. Several citizens booked flats/ bungalows after verifying the sanctioned plan and inked agreement to sale with the developer which was duly registered with the registrar’s office. Most of the flat buyers availed home loan from banks, which verified the documents through their surveyors and legal experts before sanctioning the amount. The buyers were handed over the possession by 2004.
In the meanwhile, the land was brought under the Nagpur Municipal Corporation jurisdiction, which sanctioned the revised plan in 2006.
By 2009, nearly 50% of the buyers got their sale deeds executed followed by mutation. After some delay, sale deed of the remaining properties were also executed.
However, in 2017, one of the land owners lodged a complaint with the authorities alleging forgery in power of attorney documents. Following the complaint, City Survey department refused to execute mutations citing the objection from one of land owners.
In March 2017, crime branch’s special investigation team (SIT) registered a case against the developer on charges of forgery.
“The NIT or NMC are duty-bound to verify each and every document before sanctioning a layout and building plan,” said Thakur, who is also one of the aggrieved buyers. “The buyers are unnecessarily facing the brunt of the “misdeeds” of a developer and government departments,” he alleged.
As the mutation proceedings were halted, aggrieved buyers approached revenue minister in Devendra Fadnavis cabinet Chandrakant Patil in August 2018 and apprised him of their plight. Accordingly, state’s revenue department on September 25, 2018, directed collector’s office to investigate the matter and submit a report. However, the collector’s office has not submitted the report even after 17 months.
As nothing has moved since then, over 250 buyers are unable to mortgage the property for availing loan nor they are able to sell it in the absence of mutation. They, however, have to repay the home loan and also pay property tax to the civic body.
Superintendent of land records GB Daberao, under whom the City Survey offices comes, told TOI that he was not aware of the case. “I will go through the details and do the needful,” he said.
Collector Ravindra Thakre did not respond to TOI’s call and message.
