Pune Video: Residents Cry Foul Over Poor Facilities At Ambegaon Budruk Society

The residents of Trimurti Grand Icon Society near Bharti Vidyapeeth in Pune's Ambegaon Budruk are grappling with a slew of unresolved issues ranging from severe waterlogging, illegal construction, mismanagement of funds and rising electricity bills, leading to frustration and anger among the flat owners.

Despite multiple complaints over the past few years, problems such as drainage water entering the parking lot, lack of CCTV surveillance, and unauthorised structural changes have continued to plague the society. Residents allege that their concerns are being ignored not only by the builder but also by the appointed society administrator.

Zilla Parishad has fined ₹6 lakh to the builder for digging the basement an extra 10 to 15 feet below. The amount was supposed to be paid by the builder, but it was transferred to the society.

Ankush Jagtap, a resident, said, "Due to a dispute between the society members, an administrator has been appointed to maintain the society. But she also ignored our complaints and issues. Every month, the electricity bill is unpaid till the deadline, leading to a fine of ₹700–800 on us each month. A few people in the society have reconstructed the area design, which is against the RERA norms. But still, no action has been taken against them."

Harshad Sawant, another resident, alleged that the society fund is being misused by the appointed administrator. "For the last 2 years, more than ₹1.5 lakh has been withdrawn from the society fund, but there is no proof of where it has been used. The society has not been audited for the last 3 years," he added.

Gorakh Ghutokade, a retired government teacher and resident of the society, expressed, "We had purchased the flat in 2018 for ₹40 lakh. I was promised by the builder that the waterlogging issue would be solved, but the situation has remained the same for the last 7 years. The maintenance charge has been increased from ₹1,200 to ₹2,000, but we are not getting any basic facilities like clean parking, hot water and cleanliness. We spent all our savings on this home. The builder cheated us. We are not getting the basic facilities which were promised by him."

"The drainage water comes out from the floor continuously. We are forced to install a motor in the parking lot to pump out the polluted water, leading to an extra light bill of approximately ₹50,000 per month and mosquito breeding," he added.

Yashwant Khairnar, a retired Indian Army officer and a resident of the society, said, "The solar heater has been shut down for the last few years. We have complained many times to the administrator, but no one has visited even once to listen to our issues. We are paying the full maintenance charge despite struggling to get proper parking space."

Sunita Rewade, another resident, highlighted that cleanliness and waterlogging are the main issues. "The society chairman should be one among us. We don't want any government-appointed official," she said.

Meanwhile, Shital Jadhav, the administrator of the society, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, "I am aware of the situation, but the repair work needs a lot of budget, which we don't have. A few society members don't pay the maintenance fee, which is required. To solve the issues of the society, the signatures of all flat owners are mandatory. Accordingly, steps will be taken to solve the issue."

Santosh Todkar, builder of the society, said, "We have set up the automatic motor to pump out the water. The building was well designed when we handed it over. Moreover, I was not aware of the penalty. However, when we got to know, we appealed in the tehsildar office. The matter is under court procedures. As the court decides, we will act on it."