Another apartment-related scam surfaces

KOCHI: In another major apartment-related scam, the residents of Panjos Gardens in Padivattom here are up in arms against the builder of the apartment. The residents have complained that the original plans and the sketches varied from the completed plan submitted by the builder to the Corporation.Most of the owners of the flats are from outside Kerala. The builder is alleged to have encroached upon the common space of the flat. Of the 69 apartments, only around 30 to 34 owners are living here while the other owners have rented out their apartments. Around 40 to 50 percent of the owners are working outside Kerala or India.“Many changes have been made in the original plan and it seems that the builder keeps on encroaching upon the common space. Around three or four weeks ago, the builder took over a new parking spot adjacent to the front portico to park the owner’s new car. This will block the movement of all vehicles entering the portico, especially the emergency vehicles,” Jain Job, a resident, said.When the residents sought the original plan during the initial stage of the construction, the builder rejected their request. But later when the residents unitedly came against him, he showed a plan which was made after the completion of the  building. “We were cheated in the initial stage itself. The builder has shown us a different plan which was first shown during the registration and in the brochure,” Sebastine George said.“The fire exit has been blocked. The fire system is very pathetic. This is one of the tallest buildings in the city but with no proper fire system. No fire-drill is being conducted. The vehicles of the Fire and Rescue Services can hardly enter if any fire incident takes place,” a resident complained.The builder is the association president and his son-in-law is the treasurer of the association of the building. “We think that this is a rare case which would not have happened anywhere else in the world. They took over the association to hide their activities. The association, with much influence, is totally controlled in favour of the builder,” said Jain Job.According to a resident, the registration of the apartments had begun in 1998. “This is a 21-storey building which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in 2005. The apartment was inaugurated without getting the completion certificate. Since there was no completion certificate, there was no proper electrical connection, no proper lift service and water supply. We were operating on a temporary power supply given to the builder from the KSEB. The builder distributed his temporary power to the flat owners. The KSEB caught the builder for selling the electricity to the flat owners and the KSEB fined him to the tune of around `18 lakh. This fine was passed on to us by the builder for the crimes for which we were not at all responsible,” a resident said.