The manner in which the Hydra authorities are operating is quite strange. They have ignored taking action against town planning officials who granted permissions in buffer zones and the commissioners who signed off on them. Ordinary and middle-class citizens, who bought flats believing that local body approvals were in place, are now finding that these apartments are being demolished with police forces, despite knowing about the situation.
What should those who took out bank loans for these apartments do now? Until yesterday, the construction of these apartments was happening right in front of them, now Hydra authorities have demolished them. What about those who took home loans to buy their own house? Should they continue to pay their monthly installments or not?
When buying a flat in an apartment, buyers initially need to pay twenty percent of the total cost as a margin money. For instance, if a two-bedroom flat costs around Rs 70 lakh, the buyers must pay Rs 14 lakh as margin money. Arranging this margin money often involves significant difficulties. For a three-bedroom flat, the cost might be as high as Rs 90 lakh, requiring Rs 20 lakhs as margin money.
In such cases, who will refund the margin money paid by the buyers? Even if local authority officials granted permission taking bribes, how would buyers know this? Many people buy flats based on the approvals from GHMC or HMDA. Now, if Hydra authorities suddenly come and demolish these apartments, who will return the margin money to the buyers who paid it initially? Will Hydra authorities make arrangements to refund the money to those who purchased the flats?
Demand for accountability from officials!
Hydra authorities claim that local officials issued permits for building apartments on lakes, ponds, and buffer zones, allegedly in exchange for bribes. Therefore, buyers are demanding that the Hydra recover the margin money paid for these apartments from the officials who granted the permissions. They also insist that the officials who issued these illegal permits be arrested and jailed. Victimised buyers are calling for severe penalties for corrupt officials to deter any future abuse of power and to prevent similar illegal approvals.
