Residents, shop-keepers in the centre of another storm

CENTRE POINT FALLOUT

Although controversy over the building has not been new to residents and shopkeepers of Centre Point building in the Panchwati area of Ahmedabad, they were in for a rude shock on Friday morning, as a group of officials from Allahabad Bank, equipped with attachment orders, pasted notices on the commercial and residential building.

The reason: The original co-operative society formed 15 years ago while the building was being constructed, had not repaid a loan that it took from the bank.

Residents and shopkeepers, who have earlier witnessed their water and drainage connections being snapped for not complying with fire safety norms and also a few illegal constructions demolished by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), looked on stunned as the bank officials pasted notices, stating that the property has been attached by the bank.

This building has been in the eye of controversies for the last three years and even Gujarat High Court had taken several steps against the promoter who was heavily criticised by the High Court and the civic bodies.

The residents, who even took out their ire on bank officials, seemed to ask two basic questions. One: Why were they being penalised for a mistake committed by the society? Two: Why should they pay for the mistakes allegedly committed by the builder?

The bank officials tried their best to convince the members that they should have checked whether the house or the shop they were purchasing is caught in any legal problem. The quiet locality soon buzzed with activity as shop keepers and people residing in the building rushed downstairs to read the notice.

While some were seen trying to figure out what the meaning of the notice was, others still thought that the municipal corporation estate department had issued a notice for some irregularity in the building.

"We thought it was the AMC. Then we came to know that the building has been attached by the bank. We have paid the full amount to purchase the house, why should we be penalised?" questioned a resident.

Another shopkeeper said, "First, there was the problem of fire safety, then there was an illegal construction issue and now the entire building has been attached."

While some residents and shopkeepers insisted that they had no idea that the society owed the bank any sum, others said they believed the matter was pending in court.

But bank officials said it is not possible that people had no idea. "When a person buys a shop or a house, he verifies if the land title is clear. Here is a case pending in court for almost ten years, and everybody knew of it," said Deepak Narang, assistant general manager, Allahabad Bank.

One question however remained unanswered. The builder Hasmukh Shah, his associate Upendra Shah, who was chairman of the society when the loan was obtained, and other promoters remained unaffected.