Curation Team
GURUGRAM: Tension is running high among residents of Imperia Esfera, located in Sector 37C, after the society’s developer allegedly threatened to disconnect the electricity supply for those who refuse to pay an increased maintenance charge.
Over 150 families, who now face uncertainty with the deadline for payment set as Monday afternoon, have termed the move illegal and coercive.
The issue began when the developer raised the common area maintenance (CAM) charges from Rs 3.15 to Rs 4.52 per square foot in Aug 2024. Residents claim this hike was never discussed or mutually agreed upon.
“We have been regularly paying Rs 3.15 per square foot. On Saturday, several residents received a message from the developer’s representative warning that electricity supply would be disconnected if the differential amount since Aug 2024 is not paid by Monday afternoon. The developer cannot impose a higher charge without consultation and then threaten us with consequences in case of non-payment” said Rinki Singh, RWA president of the society.
The RWA has filed a formal complaint against the developer with the deputy commissioner and the police commissioner. “This is an attempt to bully residents into paying. Electricity is a public utility—not a tool to enforce unjust maintenance charges,” Singh added.
Moreover, the occupation certificate (OC) for Imperia Esfera was granted on Feb 7, 2018, and even after seven years, the developer has not handed over the maintenance to the RWA, the residents said.
“Despite repeated requests and legal obligations, the developer has not handed over the maintenance. While they are charging an exorbitant CAM fee, their services are substandard. The newly constructed towers A, B, and C have already deteriorated, and the basement is full of water and cannot be used for parking,” said Atul Kumar Varshney, RWA treasurer.
Meanwhile, Harsh Pushkarna, AVP – admin and facility at Imperia Esfera, refuted the allegation and maintained that residents were informed well in advance about the revised CAM charges.
“The revised CAM charges were clearly communicated to residents and were scheduled to be implemented from Aug last year. Despite this, many residents are not paying, and the pending amount continues to rise. Electricity has not been disconnected despite the balance becoming zero in the prepaid system. We have only requested residents to clear their negative balances. When DHBVN reduced the electricity tariff from Rs 7.70 to Rs 6.20 per unit in March, following a change in connection category, the benefit was passed on to the residents. We are providing service, and we have simply asked residents to pay what is due,” he added.
