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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has filed a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding alleged lapses in the construction of Signature View Apartments in South Delhi. According to the complaint, the builder,M/s Antriksh India Group, had promised to construct 2,352 flats but only 1,712 have been built. Moreover, the builder had promised to construct three towers, but only two have been built and the third one is yet to be constructed.
In January, Lt. Governor VK Saxena authorized criminal prosecution of corrupt officials. The DDA (Delhi Development Authority), acting on the Lt Governor's orders, has filed a complaint with the CBI to lodge a FIR against the wrongdoing DDA officials, contractors, and builders involved in the case. According to insiders, this move is part of a crackdown against corrupt management that has put hundreds of lives at risk in the structurally damaged Signature View Apartments.
The DDA has alleged that the builder had sold flats to people without obtaining the necessary clearances from the authorities. The builder had also allegedly violated several other rules and regulations, such as the Delhi Development Authority Act and the Master Plan Delhi 2021.
According to sources, the DDA has requested the CBl to register a FIR against 'all concerned including the contractors, M/s Winner Construction Pvt Ltd and M/s Grover Construction Pvt Ltd, the testing agencies, M/s Bharat Test House and M/S Delhi Test House, all involved DA officials and unknown persons' for offenses of cheating, criminal breach of trust, endangering life and public safety of others, and other pertinent provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Signature View Apartments project was launched by the Antriksh India Group in 2011. The project was meant to provide affordable housing to the people of Delhi. The project was located in Dwarka Sector 19B and was spread over an area of 21,000 sq m. The project was supposed to be completed within five years from the date of allotment of land. It was launched with much fanfare, and many people had invested in the project.
The building was allotted to residents in 2011-2012, but it began to exhibit issues related to its construction shortly afterward. As a result, residents sought help from the DDA. Following a study in 2021-2022 by IIT-Delhi, the DDA was advised to immediately vacate and dismantle the building due to its structural unsoundness.
A recent investigation into a building constructed by a government agency has revealed that the provisions for quality control specified in the contract and the Central Public Works Department manual were not followed. Consequently, the building's construction failed within a decade of its erection, and the concrete used in the structure was of a lower quality than expected. Despite various repairs, the building's structural stability continues to decline, and an independent expert has suggested that the building should be evacuated immediately.
The report suggests that the contractor and relevant officers had a duty to ensure that the agreed-upon quality control standards were met. It seems that either the officers did not notice the issues during construction or colluded with the agency to compromise the quality and provide improper gains to the agency. On the other hand, a vigilance inquiry established that it was a 'collusion' between the DDA officials and builders/contractors that led to compromising the quality and structural safety requirement during the construction.
The DDA has stated that the builder had failed to complete the construction of the apartments within the stipulated time frame, which was five years from the date of allotment of land. The DDA had allotted the land to the builder in 2011, and the builder was supposed to complete the construction by 2016. However, the builder had failed to do so, and the DDA had extended the deadline to 2021.Allegedly, the builder had also not provided the necessary infrastructure facilities, such as water supply, sewage treatment plant, and solid waste management facility, as per the agreement.
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