Residents march in protest inside the township on Thursday.
Swimming pool, sports complex, state-of-the-art gym, clubhouse — the very thought of having these amenities at our doorstep makes us crave for a flat in a modern township. But what if we know we have to pay through our nose for it? Or worse, be told to pay when we thought these things were actually free. I'm sure we would be livid. So are residents of Gaur City in Noida Extension.
Residents of the township are up in arms against the builder over the imposition of an annual charge for entering the stadium inside the sports complex. About 150 residents held a protest inside the township on Thursday.
They said that Gaursons, the builder, had not mentioned any such charge when they had booked flats. The builder is now charging Rs 4,500 for every adult and Rs 3,500 for every minor as annual entry fee to the sports complex. Apart from this, they have also introduced a five-year membership fee of Rs 50,000 for every resident who wants access to the sports complex. Over and above this, there are additional charges for accessing the cricket and tennis stadiums, the gym, the swimming pool, the banquet hall and the food court, all of which are inside the sports stadium.
Possession of flats began in 2015, and there are already 3,000 families living in the township now.
Jitendra Bhatt, a resident, said, “The charges have come as a bolt from the blue. We are not asking for free access to all amenities of the sports complex. But many of us have been using the stadium for our morning and evening walks and jogging. That has been brought to a rude standstill."
Malkeet Singh, an elderly resident of Gaur City, also rued the fact that their entry to the stadium has been restricted.
Gurpreet Singh was an especially angry resident. “The huge 18-acre sports complex was a prime attraction of the project. It was one of the reasons I bought a flat here. And now Gaursons is telling me I can't use it if I don't pay for it? This is unacceptable."
When City Spidey took up the matter with Manoj Gaur, managing director of Gaursons India Ltd, he said they had never promised free access to the stadium. "It is very normal for builders to charge membership fees for amenities such as club and sports complex. Even in Gaur City, residents who have taken membership of the sports complex can enjoy some of the amenities, such as indoor games, for free. People will have to pay charges to enrol in the cricket and tennis academies,” added Gaur.
