Apex consumer court asks Unitech to refund Rs 3.33 crore to homebuyer

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New Delhi: The apex consumer commission has directed real-estate major Unitech Hi-Tech Developers Ltd to pay over Rs three crore to a couple for failing to give them possession of an apartment booked under one of its housing projects at Noida in 2010.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) asked the firm to refund the payment of Rs 3.33 crore made by the complainants while purchasing the flat and compensate them in the form of interest at 10 percent per annum with effect from 2012.

The commission, while deciding the complaint, rejected the claim of Unitech group of companies that the delay in handing over the flats to the buyers was on account of agitation by farmers and shortage of labour.

According to the complaint, the couple had booked a residential flat in project Burgundy, developed by Unitech in Sector 96-98 in Noida and were allotted the apartment on Level 6 in Tower-1 on August 27, 2010 for a total consideration of Rs 3.39 crore, out of which the complainants had already paid Rs 3.33 crore to the firm.

"As regards the alleged shortage of labour, no material has been placed on record to show that it (Unitech) could not get adequate work force to complete the construction of the flats despite efforts having been made in this regard," the NCDRC said.

Regarding the claim of delay due to farmers agitation, the commission said, "...There is no evidence of the work at this particular site having been halted by farmers. No affidavit of the contractor engaged by the opposite party for construction of the flats in this project has been filed to prove that he had to halt the work on account of agitation by farmers."