Improvement Trust gets stern warning over non-compliance of panel orders

The Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) received a stern warning from the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission today after its Executive Officer (EO) failed to appear for a hearing on non-compliance with the execution orders in nearly 200 cases, involving Rs 53 crore owed to allottees of three failed residential schemes.

The commission, which was reviewing JIT’s failure to refund the money to the allottees of Indra Puram Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave (2006), Bibi Bhani Complex (2010) and Surya Enclave Extension (2011, relaunched in 2016), was left unimpressed when neither the EO, nor JIT’s lawyer appeared. Instead, a clerk informed the commission that the EO was absent due to a personal emergency involving a death in the family.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, advocate Harleen, who is representing a section of the affected allottees, said the commission, considering the circumstances, granted the JIT a one-week reprieve on humanitarian grounds. However, the commission president issued a stern warning, stating that if the JIT failed to present a proper resolution, whether in the form of refunds or a structured plan on execution compliance, non-bailable arrest warrants will be issued not only against JIT officials, including its Chairman and EO, but also against the higher authorities in Chandigarh, including the Principal Secretary overseeing the department.

Meanwhile, in these 200 cases, which involves complainants who had invested lakhs of rupees in these residential schemes under the JIT, the execution orders have already been passed, but the JIT is yet to comply fully with the refund orders.

The allottees say that while Indra Puram and Bibi Bhani Complex remain partially developed, it still lacked basic amenities such as electricity and water connections, leaving allottees unable to occupy their properties. The situation is worse for those who bought plots in Surya Enclave Extension as it never materialised and had instead turned into a dumping ground.

As per information, since 2021, over 400 judgments have been passed against the JIT across various consumer commissions. While partial compliance has been met in some cases, the outstanding amount in 200 unresolved cases has surged to Rs 53 crore from Rs 14 crore last year due to accruing interest and continued non-compliance.

Over the years, the commission has already issued more than 150 arrest warrants against JIT officials for similar violations. However, enforcement has been weak, with officials often citing their unavailability. Even in October last year, JIT Chairman Jagtar Singh Sanghera appeared before the commission after facing non-bailable arrest warrants over similar compliance failures.