Consumer forum asks LDA to pay for not giving possession of apartment
13 Jul, 2013
A complaint was filed with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum against the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) for failing to provide an apartment despite the entire cost being paid.
The complainant had applied for a house under the self-financing scheme in January 2010 y paying Rs. 49,000. After a further deposit of Rs. 98,000 in May 2010, he was allotted a house whose cost was Rs. 9.95 lakhs. The complainant again deposited Rs. 9.29 lakh by November 2010 in three installments. When the complainant tried to know the status of the construction, the LDA didn't reply following which he filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking information regarding the allotment.
The reply to the RTI application revealed that the allotted land was disputed and that alternative accommodation will be made available to him in May 2011. However, even after 21 months the construction hasn’t begun. The consumer forum contended that it is incomprehensible that despite knowing that the land was disputed, the scheme was floated and the cost of the house was received. It held that the complainant was entitled to get the house in the same area and at the same rate that was prevalent at the time of booking. The forum ordered that if alternative allotment is not possible, the LDA needs to refund the complete amount within a month with 18% interest charged from November 30, 2011.