representative image Chennai, apartment politics And there is a lack of awareness about it Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act are hindering the registration of resident associations with the state government. In many apartment complexes, residents still do not have a consensus on who will be the president and secretary, while some are completely unaware of the rules.
recently unveiled Tamil Nadu Apartment ownership rules stipulate that at least four apartment owners must form an association, draft bylaws and register it before redevelopment can take place.
Additionally, the redevelopment can go ahead if two-thirds of the flat owners agree. The rules also outline penalties for those who fail to pay maintenance charges.
Despite these provisions, the state registration department has not seen a significant increase in registrations. This year, only 150 unions were registered in the Chennai region, of which around 6,000 have been registered so far.
In Tambaram region, only 10 associations register monthly, most of them are new complexes rather than new ones. redevelopment rulesAn official of the registration department said.
V Rangan, a retired customs officer and member of the T Nagar Residents Association, said the rules appear to be more in favor of builders. “If the value of the apartment complex is more than Rs 25 crore or four grounds (1 ground = 2,400 sq ft), a committee with experts should be appointed by the competent authority to inspect the building for stability and useful life for the remaining years. Should be done.
The rules should also mention maintenance of the building including whitewashing at least once in eight years. At least one resident must have owned the apartment for 10 years or more,” he said.
Residents of old apartments are still hesitant to form associations due to internal conflicts. “Until there is a sense of unity among residents, there will remain many hurdles in the redevelopment of properties,” said Raghukumar Chudamani, convenor of the Perambur Neighborhood Development Forum.
D Neelakannan, president of the Alliance of Resident Welfare Associations, said ego and trust issues were the major hurdles. “Residents are often reluctant to collaborate with others to form an association for fear of mismanagement of funds. Additionally, many resist following the mandatory bylaws associated with forming an association,” he said.
VS Jayaraman of T Nagar Residents Welfare Association said there is a need for more clarity about the rules. “The government has provided model bylaws, but many associations are confused about whether they can include clauses specific to their needs,” he said.
