Public bests Private

  • Abhishek Behl / FG
  • India
  • Jul 11, 2014

 

 

Photos: Prakhar Pandey

The private sector is considered to be the epitome of efficiency, productivity and result-orientation in the country, with corporate honchos seen as its brand ambassadors. In Gurgaon, the new corporate hub, the residents persistently clamour for the privatisation of all projects and services in the City, offering that as the panacea – the cure-all medicine - for all that ails us. However, in this City we can see its failure on a daily basis. And it hasn’t changed for over a decade. Most private Real Estate developers/builders – including many of the ‘renowned’ – have repeatedly failed to deliver and have in fact taken their customers for granted (if not cheated them). They do not represent any of the hallmarks of private enterprise – rather, what is on view is an arrogant mindset reminiscent of monopolists.  Unfortunately, the State government policies over the last decade have also unduly favoured the private builders – even at the cost of government agencies like Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and the Housing Board. These have been completely sidelined, much to the chagrin of the common man (the lower middle class). In fact, in the 58 new sectors of Gurgaon (58 to 115) – much larger than the entire current Gurgaon – there is not a single HUDA or Housing Board sector! This is despite the performance of almost all the private developers being way off the mark - in building internal infrastructure and maintaining their projects/colonies. It’s been so bad – or convenient – that Completion Certificates have not been issued for projects that are decades old! Private builders feel no need, let alone obligation, to operate as per their approved licences and agreements. This has culminated in mass protests and the initiation of legal cases against builders in multiple projects and colonies across the City. In a sign that the owners and residents may have had enough, there seems to be a new case every month now. In this scenario, and against ‘conventional’ wisdom, the HUDA sectors seem to be performing better. HUDA was instrumental in external development in all the initial 57 sectors, and the total development – and even currently maintenance - of select (HUDA) sectors. This is fairly commendable, given the typical ‘red tape’, inadequate staff and ‘typical’ govt. attitudes. Many residents and civil society activists say that despite systemic problems in a govt. agency like HUDA, and a clear poverty of ideas in planning, it has stuck to certain ‘time-tested’ norms and regulations of development. Col BK Dhawan says, "For example, the government officials do not have much incentive for holding on to common areas and facilities. In HUDA areas, community centres get constructed and schools get built, albeit slowly. In contrast, most private colonisers look at how they can do away with such facilities and make ‘real estate’ money even on common facilities. They believe that they can have their cake and eat it too – and they have been doing that for some time now!

 

Friday Gurgaon decided to check this out at ground level – by comparing South City 1, a posh colony developed (and being maintained) by Unitech, with Sector 23, which was developed by HUDA (and is being maintained by it). Both HUDA and Unitech come under fire from their respective residents for failing to set up adequate civic infrastructure and facilities. However, HUDA charges are not seen as exorbitant – unlike Unitech’s. The parks, community centres and other common areas in HUDA sector are truly public properties, whereas in private areas these are still mostly ‘controlled’ by the builders. South City 1 was developed and sold in the early 90s. It has 2,400 plots and a few condominiums. Ashok Bhardwaj, former President of the RWA and now a political leader, says that the Colony was in good shape initially, but it has been neglected for far too long now; it is just being allowed to deteriorate. The inner colony roads were not maintained for 8 years! "Finally we had to resort to a street agitation, after which Unitech assured us that the roads would be repaired or relaid. To undertake this, they charged advance money from the residents! However, even then, they only took care of 30 per cent of the work – and that too is of poor quality," he alleges. General Secretary of South City RWA (SCRWA), Ajay Agarwal, says that things are in bad shape as the coloniser has failed to deliver on its core responsibilities of internal development and maintenance. "The internal works such as roads, sewerage, parks and STP should have been adequate in number and functional, but this has not happened. And the maintenance has been pathetic for years. To add to our woes, the external development, which is the responsibility of DTCP and HUDA, is also inadequate, because monitoring and regulation is lax from the government’s side", says Agarwal. On maintenance, the RWA members say that the maintenance agency has withdrawn the required 78 security guards and only a few have been posted at the gates. Agarwal says that almost Rs. 150 crores is required to complete the deficiencies in civic infrastructure and facilities. The residents say that till a decade ago things were fine, but after that the builder started to take things for granted, as almost all the plots had been sold by then. South City 1 has been developed over almost 500 acres. The licence was issued by DTCP in 1984. It was sold as a premium well-located destination. It was also close to Sector 29, which was planned as the commercial and entertainment hub of Gurgaon. The Colony currently has a 70 to 80 per cent occupancy. What really bothers the residents is the status of the roads, the lack of security and the poor upkeep of lanes and drains. Besides, the decision of the builder to allot plotted land parcels to a school and a religious institution, has led to a daily nightmare for the residents. School buses block all roads for hours, and security has gone for a toss. Bhardwaj adds that, despite all the shortcomings in the delivery of civic services, the maintenance charges were unilaterally increased by the builder. Further, the builder does not levy any water charges on its own school or its establishment/office building, which occupies an almost 3 lakhs sq. yds. area in the Colony. The amount is allegedly ‘made up’ through the residents. Commercial properties are being run on the common areas and facilities that should have been handed over to the RWA. South City does not have a community centre. As per the original plan submitted to DTCP, the Patio Club was to be ‘half a community centre’ - but even the residents are charged exorbitant fees. Ajay Agarwal says that both HUDA and private builder areas are guided by the same set of rules, and the DTCP as the regulatory body has to ensure that these are implemented in letter and spirit. 

Commander Dharmvir Yadav, President of Sheetal RWA, says that most HUDA sectors are better than private builder controlled areas, because government officials are rarely dependent on the whims and fancies of a single individual (like a builder), however powerful. Therefore HUDA works in a more ‘democratic’ way while dealing with the owners and RWAs. Another issue with private real estate developers is their tendency to invest in land banks (for future projects) by using the funds of an under-construction project. Experts say that this is a primary reason for a large number of residential projects getting delayed or stuck, or for builders being unable to maintain even their posh colonies. HUDA as the government agency is well funded by the State, and has also collected thousands of crores by way of EDC (External Development Charges) - which is charged by the DTCP from private builders. Colonel BK Dhawan, who has had a long experience working with RWAs and fighting the private builders, also ‘favours’ the government agency, saying that while rules and regulations though are the same, these are grossly manipulated by colonisers, seeking to ‘illegally’ create perpetual commercial interests in their colonies. He also points to the (relatively) nominal maintenance fee that is charged from HUDA sector residents, and the almost free sanitation, streetlighting and horticulture services. They might not be top quality, but they are at least kept functional.

Sector 23 is one of the largest sectors developed by HUDA in Haryana. It has almost 5,000 plots, and the occupancy is almost 75 per cent – a majority of the residents being professionals. The Sector is strategically located (near the Delhi border) and will be soon connected with the Dwarka Expressway (Northern Peripheral Road). The proximity to Udyog Vihar could have been a handicap, but even this has not impinged on the peaceful environs and the leisurely pace of life. It is also home to a number of retired personnel from the Defence and other government services. Sanjay Sharma, resident of Sector 23, who is also a property consultant, says, “I like the openness of the Sector. The rules are easier and the maintenance is far less - though the services are also average. However, it’s a clearly better option than living in private colonies, where the interests of the builders take precedence over everything. They even make the rules.” Ashok Rana, President Sector 23 RWA, says that though it is difficult to initially ‘move’ a government establishment, once you know how to get things done the system works fine. There was a time when, not only this sector, but also most of the HUDA areas were in s pitiable condition; but the activism of some residents, and their exerting constant pressure on the government, paid off. The internal sector roads have been repaired, and the parks and green belts are being maintained by the RWA (though the reimbursement, true to govt. style, is inevitably delayed). Rana says that HUDA had even offered to ‘decentralise’ sanitation and cleanliness to the RWA,  but there has not been a unanimity on this among the stakeholders. Fortunately, power is not a major issue, as the sector has a local sub-station. Most of the external development work – including master sewerage connection and storm water drainage - has also been completed. However, regular water supply is a major problem. The booster station, the storage capacity and supply pipelines are inadequate. Hundreds of homes daily witness a rationing of water. Rana believes that the managements of private colonies are far more responsive, though their rates may be higher. Perhaps it could be a case of the grass looking greener on the other side, but Raman Sharma, a Gurgaon based activist, says that government agencies like HUDA have established policies, experienced officials and adequate finance. For Sharma, the main issue is HUDA’s political will to get things done the right way – and preferably at the first attempt; he believes if the government wishes to, its agencies can deliver better than the private builders. The problem, however, is that the present government has already curtailed the function of HUDA beyond the 57th sector in Gurgaon, and made real estate development the sole preserve of private colonisers. The middle class is clearly not a potent vote bank here – unlike neighbouring Delhi.

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