Fight of JIT allottees for refund of failed residential schemes enters new year

Avneet Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 1

Even as the city welcomes the New Year, allottees of three failed residential schemes under the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) are entering yet another year of frustration and struggle. For those who invested in Indra Puram Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave (2006), Bibi Bhani Complex (2010) and Surya Enclave Extension (2011 and relaunched in 2016), it has been over a decade of broken promises and legal battles.

Despite securing favorable judgments from district, state and national consumer commissions, the JIT has failed to comply with orders, withholding refund amounting to Rs 50 crore.

Many of the affected allottees, primarily senior citizens, accuse the JIT of collecting significant amount from them but failing to deliver on any development work or hand over possession of flats and plots. “Complaints of corruption and mismanagement have long surrounded the schemes, but the state government has shown no intention to investigate the allegations or take corrective action”, they said, adding that they remained trapped in a cycle of unfulfilled assurances and delayed justice.

ML Sehgal, a retired SDO and allottee of the Surya Enclave Extension Scheme, shared his ordeal of repeated visits to the JIT office and consumer forums to reclaim his investment. “This endless struggle has been exhausting. Neither the previous government, nor the present administration has taken steps to resolve this mess. Our demands are simple: Release our dues and compensate us for the mental agony we’ve endured,” he said.

Darshan Ahuja, an allottee from the Bibi Bhani Complex, highlighted the financial implications of the delay. “By July last year, the dues stood at Rs 14 crore. Now, with accumulated interest and additional rulings in our favour, the total has climbed to Rs 50 crore. This is not just negligence, it’s criminal disregard for the plight of citizens,” he said.

The situation, meanwhile, took an ugly turn in October when arrest warrants were issued against the JIT Chairman due to the Trust’s failure to refund payments in 128 cases. Over the past few years, more than 150 arrest warrants have been issued against JIT officials, but many remain unexecuted, with the authorities often citing the unavailability of the accused.

Since 2021, approximately 400 judgments have been passed in favour of the allottees, but compliance remains patchy, with JIT failing to act in about 130 cases, leaving a staggering Rs 50 crore outstanding.

The allottees have appealed to the government for immediate intervention to ensure the release of their refunds and to hold the responsible officials accountable. “The New Year has brought no hope, only the continuation of our long fight against systemic apathy. The dream of owning a home has turned into a nightmare of endless legal battles and financial strain for us”, the allottees said.

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Legal hurdles, lack of amenities shocker

The JIT launched these schemes between 2008 and 2011, but these remained fraught with challenges. The Surya Enclave Extension scheme faced legal hurdles, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court imposing stay orders. Although the petition was dismissed in 2015, the scheme remained neglected as no development work was carried out, turning a once prime city location into a sprawling garbage dump. Similarly, the Bibi Bhani Complex and Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave have suffered due to poor construction quality and the lack of promised civic amenities, not even water and electricity provision, reducing the complex to the hub of anti-social activities. Frustrated plot and flat owners have repeatedly staged protests and held meetings with officials, yet no tangible progress has been made.