Residents of Mahagun Moderne Society in Noida's Sector 7 and 8 staged a protest on Sunday against the hike in Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges imposed by the Apartment Owners Association (AOA). The CAM charges were increased from Rs 1.99 to Rs 2.55 per square foot without convening a mandatory General Body Meeting (GBM), sparking frustration among the nearly 2,600 families living in the society.
Protest Highlights
Protesters carried banners and raised slogans against the AOA, accusing it of malpractices. They also complained about blocked fire exits near a tower, unauthorized shops, and the absence of democratic elections. Residents argue that the CAM increase is unwarranted, especially given a significant reduction in staff strength from around 100% to 50%, declining service quality, maintenance issues, unsatisfactory cleanliness, and malfunctioning lifts. The hike took effect on June 1, and residents are voicing concerns that they are being charged more for deteriorating living conditions.
Safety Violations
The protest highlighted serious safety violations within the society. Residents allege that fire exits in Tower Avlon have been blocked by illegal constructions. “Illegal shops have been constructed inside the society by blocking fire exits of Tower Avlon and outside Gate No. 4, with zero action from the Noida Authority beyond empty notices of sealing of shops. Residents have met ACEO Satish Pal and his team plenty of times and explained the gravity of the situation, but other than assurances and serving internal notices, nothing has been done,” said Anshuman Singh, a resident. Even complaints raised on the IGRS Jansunwai portal have not been addressed beyond noting the issue, Singh added. Approximately 200 families of Tower Avlon are potentially living next to a “death trap,” said Sunil Chaudhary, another resident. Rahul Mundra said, “Despite numerous attempts to engage with local authorities, including meetings with Noida Authority officials, we have received only empty assurances.”
Election Irregularities
The protest also focused on allegations that no democratic elections have been held in the society since the takeover from the builder in 2018. “The same 5-6 people keep rotating among themselves the AOA positions. For seven years, no elections have been held for the AOA, perpetuating a cycle of control by a small group that allegedly uses political connections and intimidation to maintain its power. The same set of land mafias is controlling the AOA by threatening and exploiting residents,” said a senior resident.
Demands
Residents demand accountability and the immediate rollback of the hiked CAM charges. “We further demand a transparent GBM, demolition of illegal constructions obstructing fire exits and criminal action against encroachers, the removal and investigation of corruption by the AOA members by the Noida Authority, urgent fire safety audit of all towers, accountability among Noida Authority officers for ignoring multiple complaints, and fresh AOA elections under independent oversight,” said Singh. Residents warned that if their demands are not addressed promptly, they will escalate the matter to higher authorities, including the NHRC, the UP chief minister's office, and the high court.
AOA Response
When contacted, YP Gupta, current AOA president of the society, told TOI that the CAM charge increase was mandated by a state government order to comply with minimum wage laws. He dismissed claims regarding blocked fire exits as unfounded, asserting that a fire safety audit had been conducted and necessary approvals were obtained from the Noida Authority. He also noted that AOA elections are conducted annually under the deputy registrar, and due process is followed. Regarding the illegal shops near the exit of Tower Avlon, Gupta stated that the area was earlier the builder’s office, where the current AOA office has been shifted. “No fire exit has been blocked; a fire audit has been done, and we have a NOC for 5 years. The shops near the said tower claimed to be blocked were earlier the builder's office. We have only partitioned it and created three shops in the area. No additional structure or construction has been done there. This has also been checked by the Noida Authority,” said Gupta.
