Following in the footsteps of Parsavnath Prideasia, TDI City, a township project spread over 159.13 acres in Mohali, has also joined the league of controversial mega-projects. On Sunday, around 50 buyers of commercial sites in the project alleged the company forced them to accept allotment letters of showroom sites measuring 120 square yards even though they were promised 204 square yards. The buyers claimed that they had already paid 30 per cent of the total sale amount (Rs 49.98 lakh).

Also, the buyers found out later (by filing an RTI application in the office of the Chief Town Planner, Punjab) that the developers had never even applied to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for plan approval of commercial plots while the booking amount (Rs 10 lakh) was taken in April 2006. The buyers have now formed an association — TDI Mohali Aggrieved Commercial Consumers Association — to challenge the decision.

The total number of commercial units (measuring 204 square yards) sold to the buyers is 160, of which 110 have reportedly accepted the allotment letters after “repeated threats from the company”.

“We request you to take the allotment letter of your plot immediately from our office else we will consider that you are no longer interested. This registration will be deemed cancelled and the registration amount shall be forfeited,” stated a letter from TDI (in possession of Chandigarh Newsline), received by a buyer on January 13.

“At the time of launch, we were promised that we had to pay only Rs 5 lakh at the time of allotment. I made the payment on December 31, 2007, and have not received the allotment letter till date,” said a buyer on the condition of anonymity.

Speaking to Newsline, a senior official of TDI said: “We do not deny the fact that the company never applied for approval of commercial sites from the Town Planning department. Due to the sector roads passing through the project, the company has had to part with an area of 40 acres. We had no option left but to offer the buyers commercial units of a smaller area (120 square yards). We will make plans for units of 204 square yards and apply for approval from the authorities soon.”