Eighteen years have passed since 24 families from the Shankar Chhaya Cooperative Housing Society in Tilak Nagar vacated their homes for a redevelopment project. Today, their wait continues, with hopes fading and frustrations mounting.
Among the displaced is 74-year-old Arvind Budhkar, who, like his fellow residents, vacated his 325 sq ft flat in 2010 with the assurance of a new 550 sq ft apartment, along with monthly rent. As per the development agreement signed on October 23, 2007, and its supplementary documents, the new 15-storey building was to be completed within three years. However, nearly two decades later, only 11 floors have been constructed, and no work has been undertaken in the past two years.
The housing society’s chairman recently issued a strongly worded letter to the developer, Shruti Raj Enterprise, holding it accountable for the prolonged delay. Addressed to the firm’s managing director, Chinnaiah E Gowda, the letter demands immediate possession and lists dues of Rs 20 lakh per member—covering unpaid rent, broking, transport, and corpus fund.
“We’re still living in rented homes, and some residents have sadly passed away,” the letter states. With the RERA deadline looming on December 25, 2025, residents have categorically declared they will not agree to any further extension.
Budhkar’s case reflects the wider distress. He had approached the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which ruled in his favour, directing the builder to deliver the flat, compensate for delays, and settle dues. However, the developer challenged the decision in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), where the case has remained unresolved for the past three years.
For the residents of Tilak Nagar, the dream of a new home remains just that—a dream, deferred for far too long.
Source: The Free Press Journal
