Residents of ROF Aalayas in Gurgaon staged a protest outside the developer's head office in Sector 44 on Saturday, voicing grievances over prolonged delays in the handover of the society, substandard upkeep services, and a lack of transparency in financial matters.
Protest Details
Protesters carried placards and raised slogans, demanding clarity on the utilization of maintenance funds, particularly the interest-free maintenance security (IFMS). Deepak Mongia, president of the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA), stated, "The developer has failed to address long-pending issues, especially regarding the handover and financial transparency. Even after the RWA was formed, our concerns have not been heard. A third-party audit of the assets was conducted, which revealed several structural issues that need repairs."
Maintenance Charges Hike
Mongia further alleged that the developer pressured residents to sign an agreement or threatened to increase maintenance charges. "Maintenance charges were recently hiked from around Rs 2,700 to nearly Rs 3,500 per month, without any improvement in services. On the contrary, facilities have deteriorated, and overall maintenance standards have declined," he added.
Legal Action Threatened
The association warned that if concerns remain unresolved, residents will approach regulatory and legal forums, including the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and consumer courts. The project, launched in 2013, began possession of flats in 2019. Phase 1 comprises 832 flats.
Financial Transparency Demanded
Ranjan Panda, general secretary of the RWA, said, "We have been consistently asking the developer to provide a clear account of the IFMS and maintenance funds, but there has been no transparency so far. As per norms, the IFMS amount collected from residents is meant to be handed over in full at the time of society handover, and it cannot be arbitrarily deducted." He added that residents found several expenses cited without proper justification. "For instance, maintenance contributions from several unsold or unregistered units have not been deposited, which the developer wants to deduct from the IFMS fund now. We have tried multiple times to resolve the matter, but there has been no constructive response," Panda stated.
Developer's Response
When contacted, the developer, ROF Group, said, "An MoU was executed earlier with the RWA to address concerns of handover-takeover in a mutually agreed manner. However, certain members appear to be driven by individual interests and have repeatedly deviated from and rescinded their earlier positions and understandings. The present protest is a calculated attempt to exert undue pressure on us in support of demands that are not aligned with the agreed framework. Notably, the gathering of 30-35 people included several individuals, including miscreants, whose credentials as residents could not be verified, and their conduct was disruptive, thereby creating an atmosphere of unrest."
The residents remain steadfast in their demand for transparency and accountability, vowing to escalate the matter if necessary.
