Residents Demand refunds on Rukmini Vihar apartments

Vrindavan, 2017.01.03 (VT) Over 250 residents have demanded refunds on payments for apartments in Rukmini Vihar. When asked why they want to surrender their apartments, residents had two main reasons – the slow development of the colony and the poor standard of construction of the apartments.

Rukmini Vihar was established four years ago by the MVDA. The colony, which is on the outskirts of Vrindavan, on Chatikara road, has a few private apartment blocks, but most of the plots are still vacant. The colony has one of the major parking stations for visitor vehicles – which is also underused – and is one of the main entrances from NH2 to Vrindavan’s main market and the Government (100 Bed) hospital.

Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) constructed almost 2000 apartments in the area, however most are lying vacant. Residents find living in the area difficult because of the lack of shops and public transport. Rukmini Vihar resident, Murali Krishna Das said, I cant live there. The tempos only run on heavy tourist days so it is not possible to get to the market during the daytime, when it is too hot to walk. Paint and plaster fall off the walls in big chunks and no one ever sweeps the stairways so they are full of dirt and dust.”

When the apartments went on sale 4 years ago, people lined up to buy them, but the slow pace of development has led residents to give up hope that the area will become livable in the near future. Development in the colony came to a grinding halt when property prices suddenly fell and the fast pace of development in previous years led to a glut of apartments in Vrindavan.

MVDA Vice President, Yashu Rustagi, has initiated proceedings against the contractors who are responsible for the substandard construction.