The Brave Pedestrian

Mumbai, 12 November, 2018: If Lodha New Cuffe Parade were a movie, it might get a one-star rating out of five from its present occupants; and it would be "A" rated, because it is scary and unsafe for children. If Lodha New Cuffe Parade were a car, it would have to be recalled. Lodha NCP Wadala is touted as a super-luxury real estate project, and each flat is sold at between Rs 2.5 to 7 cr. But customers are not just disappointed, they are shocked to discover that these super-expensive flats flats are poorly designed, made of poor-quality materials, substandard, defective, prone to damage and seepage. Basic design flaws in the flats, the towers, and the entire layout, make it dangerous for occupants, maintenance staff and passersby.  Lodha NCP towers like Dioro, Enchante and Evoq have got part-OC (Occupation Certificate) from MMRDA, but they are unfit for habitation. The part-OC appears to be due to MMRDA officials' negligence or corruption, or both. MMRDA appea...

Mumbai, 24 October, 2016 : Ekta Group of builders cheats and bullies its customers – no two ways about it. Don't be fooled by clever PR campaigns , paid media, beautiful website , and estate agents. Don't get taken in by endorsements of reputed corporates like HDFC Realty , HDFC Red , or mentions in Magic Bricks Now . Don't get fooled by Anil Kapoor's endorsement and MCHI-Credai Awards for Customer Responsiveness . That's all smokescreen. The ground-reality is that Ekta Group, also known as Ekta World, is shamelessly unreliable. Booking a flat in an Ekta project means giving lakhs of rupees with no safeguards and no legal entitlements. Even when the flat-agreement is registered, it is an unfair, one-sided agreement that make you lose all your rights as a flat purchaser. Ekta builder's overall strategy is to make the buyer helpless. As they say in market language, "Builder ko haath kaatke de dene jaisa hai" -- like cutting off your hands and giving...