NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, the long-anticipated request from the residents of Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, was addressed as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) commenced compensatory rent payments for the original occupants of the residential complex marked for demolition.
This action clears the way for the redevelopment of the apartment complex, which has been declared uninhabitable.
A DDA representative confirmed that 56 residents who submitted the necessary documents and vacated their flats received rent payments up until the end of July. Other residents will be included as beneficiaries starting in September.
“Residents who left the complex before the Delhi High Court’s order in December 2024 received rent from January 1 to July 31 at previously established rates. Rent payments will continue until the reconstructed flats are repossessed,” the official stated.
While the residents’ welfare association welcomed this development, they expressed concerns regarding the DDA’s silence on the annual 10% rent increase. “After a meeting on August 3, the RWA managing committee acknowledged the memorandum of understanding concerning rent vacation received from DDA,” stated Amarendra Kumar Rakesh, president of Signature View Apartments RWA.
To clarify unresolved issues, the RWA plans to seek information from the court at the next hearing on August 25. “We want issues related to floor area ratio, arrears, and annual rent escalation to be addressed in a timely legal process,” said Gaurav Pandey, RWA general secretary.
On July 11, the DDA announced a payment of ₹50,000 per month for HIG flats and ₹38,000 per month for MIG flats during reconstruction.
“Rent will be disbursed unit-wise to each allottee/owner once the flat is vacated. Payments for the previous month will be made to owners or occupants by the 7th of the following month. To confirm the flat’s vacancy prior to the court order, water and electricity bills from the preceding month showing minimal usage will be considered,” the MoU specifies.
The Signature View Apartment complex consists of 10 towers with 10 stories plus a stilt and two towers with six stories plus a stilt, built between 2007 and 2010 on 2.8 hectares, and was allocated to residents in 2011-2012. Within a few years, residents reported noticeable deterioration of the buildings. A structural audit conducted by IIT-Delhi in 2021-22 recommended immediate vacating and dismantling of the structures.
