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Real estate lands Sridevi in trouble: The Asian Age
Chennai, May 31: Sridevi, the ex-empress of Bollywood, is hogging the headlines here for the wrong reasons: a real-estate venture in which the actress reportedly has some stake has run into serious problems with cracks developing in the eight-floor building and the neighbours spending sleepless nights after calling in the police and complaining to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.
Chennai, May 31: Sridevi, the ex-empress of Bollywood, is hogging the headlines here for the wrong reasons: a real-estate venture in which the actress reportedly has some stake has run into serious problems with cracks developing in the eight-floor building and the neighbours spending sleepless nights after calling in the police and complaining to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.
They allege that a lot of greasing must have gone into the property promoter, Shanti Builders, obtaining CMDA clearance to put up eight floors on a 33-feet road whereas only three floors are allowed under the rules. The actress reportedly entered into a joint-venture agreement with Shanti Builders to put up flats at her property in posh Bishop Wallers Avenue in central Chennai. Initially, the builder had obtained CMDA approval for three floors but went on to construct five more floors. Each floor has two flats of over 2,000 sq ft each, and a flat was priced at around Rs 40-50 lakhs. The construction, which had begun over two years ago, was almost over and only the electrical job was now being done.
On Tuesday, one of the columns supporting the building gave way and developed scary cracks after its cemented exterior disintegrated and the steel rods twisted out. Neighbours rushed out of their premises on hearing the loud bang and tremors that almost seemed like a mini-earthquake, to quote one of them, David. "We are in a state of panic since then and unable to sleep at night for fear that the building might collapse on us," said another resident, Ms Ramachandran.
Even as the CMDA grappled with the spate of complaints and allegations that corruption was involved in the approval of what clearly was a blatant violation of building rules, the builder sought to allay fears that the construction was in danger. It was just a technical problem developed in just one of the 60 columns in the southwest portion of the construction, said M. Gautamchand, partner, Shanti Builders.
He said an internationally reputed Swiss company, Sika Qualcrete Pvt Ltd, had been engaged for Epoxy injection grouting to the entire 60 columns and not just the affected one. The process would be completed in four days at a cost of Rs 40 lakhs. There was absolutely no danger for the building and its surroundings, Mr Gautamchand insisted. He said his company had been in the construction business for over 20 years and there never had been any problem.
It appeared that the builder took advantage of a recent CMDA provision for regularisation of violations in the approved plan by paying up a fine. A CMDA source said an inquiry had been ordered into the incident and the builder had been served with a showcause notice. No completion certificate was issued as the regularisation scheme itself has been stayed by the Madras high court, he said.
Ironically, DMK president and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi has built his new house just a stone’s throw away from Sridevi’s property and has also been complaining that the civic authorities are yet to give him a completion certificate so that he could apply for electricity. Even though he followed all the building norms, he is being harassed by the Jayalalitha government in a political vendetta, he says. Now he is planning to go to court over the issue.
After delivering one hit after another in the 1980s and ’90s, southern siren Sridevi settled down in Mumbai with her producer husband Boney Kapoor. She is said to have several properties in Chennai, which are being disposed of. Her sister is married to the son of former Supreme Court judge S. Ramaswamy, who is in the AIADMK.
They allege that a lot of greasing must have gone into the property promoter, Shanti Builders, obtaining CMDA clearance to put up eight floors on a 33-feet road whereas only three floors are allowed under the rules. The actress reportedly entered into a joint-venture agreement with Shanti Builders to put up flats at her property in posh Bishop Wallers Avenue in central Chennai. Initially, the builder had obtained CMDA approval for three floors but went on to construct five more floors. Each floor has two flats of over 2,000 sq ft each, and a flat was priced at around Rs 40-50 lakhs. The construction, which had begun over two years ago, was almost over and only the electrical job was now being done.
On Tuesday, one of the columns supporting the building gave way and developed scary cracks after its cemented exterior disintegrated and the steel rods twisted out. Neighbours rushed out of their premises on hearing the loud bang and tremors that almost seemed like a mini-earthquake, to quote one of them, David. "We are in a state of panic since then and unable to sleep at night for fear that the building might collapse on us," said another resident, Ms Ramachandran.
Even as the CMDA grappled with the spate of complaints and allegations that corruption was involved in the approval of what clearly was a blatant violation of building rules, the builder sought to allay fears that the construction was in danger. It was just a technical problem developed in just one of the 60 columns in the southwest portion of the construction, said M. Gautamchand, partner, Shanti Builders.
He said an internationally reputed Swiss company, Sika Qualcrete Pvt Ltd, had been engaged for Epoxy injection grouting to the entire 60 columns and not just the affected one. The process would be completed in four days at a cost of Rs 40 lakhs. There was absolutely no danger for the building and its surroundings, Mr Gautamchand insisted. He said his company had been in the construction business for over 20 years and there never had been any problem.
It appeared that the builder took advantage of a recent CMDA provision for regularisation of violations in the approved plan by paying up a fine. A CMDA source said an inquiry had been ordered into the incident and the builder had been served with a showcause notice. No completion certificate was issued as the regularisation scheme itself has been stayed by the Madras high court, he said.
Ironically, DMK president and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi has built his new house just a stone’s throw away from Sridevi’s property and has also been complaining that the civic authorities are yet to give him a completion certificate so that he could apply for electricity. Even though he followed all the building norms, he is being harassed by the Jayalalitha government in a political vendetta, he says. Now he is planning to go to court over the issue.
After delivering one hit after another in the 1980s and ’90s, southern siren Sridevi settled down in Mumbai with her producer husband Boney Kapoor. She is said to have several properties in Chennai, which are being disposed of. Her sister is married to the son of former Supreme Court judge S. Ramaswamy, who is in the AIADMK.