TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: The collapse of one building on Saturday and the government’s decision to demolish three adjacent buildings in Ruby Residency at Chaudi-Canacona has shattered the dreams of over 60 owners and their families. The apartments they had purchased from their hard earned money are expected to come crumbling down within a day.
While the builders of the project are yet to be traced, the owners who had paid lakhs of rupees and were even in the process of taking possession of their flats, are now wondering about the status of their investment and they could end up in a bitter and prolonged battle to recover their money.
Shortly before his suspension following charges of having issued an Occupancy Certificate, Canacona Municipal Engineer Ajay Dessai had informed Herald that there were 62 flats in Phase–II, including 15 flats in the collapsed building.
According to sources, many of the investors had either paid up their last or penultimate installment and many were even asked to take the keys to their flats.
Such has been the concern among the owners, that some of them have even begun approaching the media with queries about their apartments, as the builders and contractors are not been accessible to them.
In one such case, an army officer based in Dehradun contacted Herald to enquire about the situation of his flat in Ruby Residency.
“I am a serving army officer presently posted in Dehradun and I have purchased a flat in Ruby Residency Phase-II. My flat is in H Wing, PLOT-D but I am unable to get the exact information about the building which has collapsed,” said the army officer.
“I also want to know if I am affected or not as I was supposed to get the possession by February 15. I will be grateful if you can provide me the required information by mail or on my mobile number,” the officer added.
Incidentally, when the building of Ruby Residency collapsed on Saturday afternoon, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had personally requested a family residing in an adjoining row-house of the complex not to stay in the house, but to find accommodation elsewhere.
On Sunday morning, two Goan families walked into the complex on hearing the news of the tragedy and were distraught that they had purchased three flats and two studios in the building which had collapsed, while other relatives had purchased four more units in other buildings of the complex.
They told reporters that they had been called to take possession of the units a day before the tragedy, but they could not do so as they were busy.
Even though the exact value of each of these 62 flats could not be known, it is learnt that all these flats had been sold like hot cakes, after the first phase of Ruby Residency had been a grand success for the builders and promoters.
According to sources, the rates for the flats were estimated at Rs 45 lakh and above, depending on the area, while the figures even touched Rs 60 lakh for a row house.
“Most of the investors were from outside Goa and they had purchased these flats for either investment purposes or as holiday homes,” the source said.
Interestingly, veteran Bollywood actress Asha Parekh, one of the more famous occupants of Ruby Residency at Chaudi, owns a spacious flat and would often come to stay in the second block of the Phase-I complex.
With the government deciding to demolish three existing buildings to facilitate the recovery of bodies trapped under the debris of the collapsed building, queries are being raised on whether the government will compensate these flat owners for their losses.When asked to comment on options available to the flat owners in their struggle to recover their hard-earned money, a Panjim-based lawyer said the aggrieved people can only seek legal action in the matter.
“The only option for the people if the buildings are demolished is to approach the courts for recovery of the money from the builder,” said the lawyer, who identified himself as Sameer.
