GHAZIABAD: District Magistrate Ravindra Mandar has directed the filing of an FIR against the officials of a Rajnagar Extension apartment owners’ association (AOA) due to alleged financial misconduct.
The decision comes after a complaint from Satyajeet Kumar, a resident of Savy Ville De Society, who accused the AOA members of fraud and mismanagement of funds. As of this report, the FIR had not yet been registered.
In response, Hemant, the AOA president, informed TOI that they have requested the DM to conduct a re-audit of the society’s finances. An audit by the Deputy Registrar’s office for the years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 had uncovered several discrepancies in the accounts.
This marks the first significant action since the formation of a special task force (STF) led by city magistrate Santosh Kumar Upadhyay. The STF was created to address longstanding complaints regarding the management of residential societies, issues related to high-rise apartment maintenance, malfunctioning lifts, and inadequate civic facilities.
The DM stated, “Residents will not be exploited. Every complaint will be addressed thoroughly, and strict action will follow upon verifying any wrongdoing. Any unresolved grievances can be directed to me.”
An official from the district administration mentioned, “Upon reviewing the details in the complaint and audit report, the DM contacted the police commissioner to request the FIR, following procedural requirements. The complainant was advised to send the complaint to the police commissioner, leading to the impending FIR against the society’s officials.”
Residents from Savy Ville De Society expressed that the action was overdue. Vikas Singh, a resident, explained that the financial discrepancies were identified after a meticulous audit covering three years. “The auditor’s report detailing these issues was submitted to the deputy registrar in January for action, but there was no response for months. After numerous attempts, we approached the DM during a public grievance meeting and presented the audit report along with our complaint. The DM then ordered a fresh audit.”
Upadhyay, the city magistrate, noted that the STF has initiated multiple investigations and will hold society managements accountable for failing to meet residents’ needs. He assured that the team is conducting inspections and follow-ups to guarantee timely resolutions for complaints.
The DM reiterated the administration’s commitment to transparency and effective resolutions of public grievances.
Mandar added that the STF’s objective is to establish a robust system for addressing complaints related to the operations of housing societies across the district.
