Friday, July 26, 2013

Shocking -- Why Electricity Should Be Handled Safely!!

FATAL ATTRACTION 
The Greatest & Most Painful Cause of Death

Electricity is fun… Electricity provides … heat, light and security … it is greatest blessing but still that is no reason to take electricity for granted-- lightly. Accidents don’t ask before happening. Live wires & short circuits don’t differentiate between rich and poor!! Anyone who makes a contact – young or old, man or woman, powerful or not – has to pay a price !
  • Electrocution - the fifth leading cause of death
  • Almost 12 people die due to electrocution everyday. 
  • Mishaps with Cooking equipment, heating equipment, home electrical distribution and lighting systems some of the leading causes of home fires
  • Electricity accounts for 42 % of total fires and most number of deaths in factories and workplaces
  • 25% of all fires occur due to job related electrical accidents per year
  •  Accidental injury kills more than 2,000 children each day worldwide.
  • More than 30,000 non-fatal shock accidents occur each year.
  • According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 % of child-related electrical accidents occur at home, when adult supervision is present.
  • Every year more than 100,000 people are hospitalized in emergency rooms due to electrical shock or burn injuries caused by careless handling in U.S
  • When more than 50 percent of electrical fires that occur every year – worldwide – could have been prevented – it is important that people understand what’s safe, what’s unsafe
For heaven sake – play & use it safe!!
Death hug: A carelessly laid high voltage main power cable hugging the iron grill at Classic Residency, Raj Nagar Extension, NH-58, Ghaziabad. The PVVNL, UPPCL and all possible authorities concerned with Electrical Distribution, supply & public safety have been warned. But no one has reacted so far.

This is a serious- public safety issue!! 
THIS IS NO WAY TO HANDLE ELECTRICITY: 
YOUR GREED COULD BE THE CAUSE OF OUR DEATH
 Ignore it at your own risk and cost!!

Anand Morla- filmmaker  and father of this 3 year old child who died of electrocution outside a Jewellery shop in south Delhi last week. Photo: courtesy IndiaToday
Anand Bhaskar Morla, 32, a filmmaker died of electrocution outside a jewellery shop in south Delhi a last week. Morla, a resident of Saket, parked his car and went to the Bank of India ATM while his grandmother, wife and three-year-old son waited in the car. On the way back he opened the car door which brushed the Iron Gate in contact with the live wire of a split air conditioning machine of the jewellery shop. He immediately fell down and was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital where doctors declared him dead.  The owners of the shop at Green Park Kamlesh Bansal and his son Druv Dhawan Bansal were arrested for negligence leading to the death of 32-year-old Anand Bhaskar Morla, in south Delhi. Delhi Police registered a case under Section 304 A of Indian Penal Code -- causing death by negligence.
Puran Singh 36 a Delhi Police Constable who had gone to attend the call of nature came in contact with a naked electric wire and fell unconscious. He was declared brought dead to AIIMS. The postmortem report confirmed the cause of death as ante-mortem injury in the form an "electric entry wound (laceration type). He left behind his widow and four minor children aged 12, 6, 4 and one and half years. He was drawing a salary of Rs. 5,900/- per month. The family is in dire straits. It is claimed that the death occurred due to the negligence of the DVB which was responsible for the safety and upkeep of the electric cables in the area.

Peter Yunus died due to electrocution leaving behind behind his wife and five children aged 21, 18, 16, 13 and 11 years when an electric wire fell over his head in front of his house at Kichiripur, Delhi. The postmortem report confirmed death due to electrocution. It is claimed that the death was caused on account of the negligence of the DVB as it had failed to perform its obligation to maintain the electric wires

Mukesh had taken power supply to his LI point. A few of his villagers had illegally taken power supply from this line by using a hook from the LI point to their houses by means of an uninsulated GI pipe. The unauthorized line got disconnected and fell on the ground.

 
A bullock came in contact with a tattering live GI wire and got electrocuted. On hearing the animals cries, the owner’s wife came tried to his save the animal. While trying to rescue her, her father got electrocuted. A writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution claiming compensation was filed.  The South West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held the discom liable to pay the amount for not completely replacing the old and weak power line despite complaints by the residents of the area.

Dharampal a DTC bus driver was allotted government accommodation house number E-78, DTC Colony, Shadipur, New Delhi where he was living with his wife, and four children. The residents of the colony used to dry their clothes on roofs/terraces of the houses. On 19th July, 1999 at about 10.45 AM, his wife, Bimla, went to the terrace to dry her clothes on an iron wire which was tied to sewer pipes on the terrace floor. The iron wire had current in it as a result she was electrocuted and died on account of negligence.

Manoj L Patil, a vice-president in Sundaram Auto Components, Hosur, and his friend, Phalgun V S, were walking on Church Street in the evening, when the former stepped on to a water puddle.  In order to balance himself Manoj held on to the grille surrounding an adjacent Bescom distribution box and collapsed there itself. He declared brought dead in the hospital.

Rajiv Sharda, 25, died of electrocution on accidentally touching an electric pole in west Delhi's Mahavir Enclave. According to media reports, Sharda and a friend were walking to a nearby market around 1.30 p.m. on a waterlogged street when the tragic incident happened. A live wire had fallen in the water and the duo received a shock when they came in contact with the water. Trying to get out of the water, Sharda lost his balance and tried to grab a nearby electric pole which was charged and got electrocuted. He was taken to the nearby Bhagat Chandra Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Taking suo motu cognizance of the media report National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Delhi chief secretary as well as a power company following the death of a youth due to electrocution.

Deedar Singh (57), a resident of Jastna Khurd village near Lalru and another lineman Jasbir Singh, lost their lives by getting an electric shock while working on an electricity pole near Chaudheri village in Lalru.  The two linemen were sent to conduct the repair work at Chaudheri village. The electricity supply to the line had been discontinued for repair and their fuse uninstalled, but due to heavy storms and rain during the day, the fuse got connected and current passed through the line due to which Deedar Singh sustained the shock

Gnyaneshwar Mahe and his 30-year-old wife Sharda got electrocuted were excavating the earth to construct a well at the residence of one Shyamrao Dabhelkar when the incident took place. Gnyaneshwar who was busy digging, asked his wife to throw out the accumulating water. This is when Sharda came in contact with an electric switch board of the motor pump. She collapsed there and then and was rushed to a private hospital where she was declared Police It seems Sharda had touched the switch board with wet hands. 

Neeraj Garg, owner of Nivedita Chemicals a Noida-based water-proofing company, went to inspect the swimming pool of Archohm, an architectural firm. He lost his balance and fell into a swimming pool which had a high-voltage current flowing through a live wire.    

Electrical faults are the major cause reason behind almost 56 per cent of domestic and industrial disasters.  According to National Crime Records Bureau eight per cent of the deaths in industries are of electrical origin. According to the Fire and Security Association of India (FSAI) -- Overheating, ageing material and use of sub-standard quality of electrical gadgets is responsible for an abnormal increase in electrical fire accidents over the years.

One of the main problems is that there are hardly any certified line men abreast with knowledge about the nature of fire accidents and handling electrical fire.  Mishandling of electricity is the surest way to invite disasters.

Moral of the Story: Electricity is a time and life saver but can lead to a painful burn injuries and sure death.

A property and nature of electricity to reach the ground even if it means going through a person...

Anyone who stands in its path is bound to pay a price!!

Oh God, Let it not be someone we love and care about!!

More Videos: 

http://taazakhabarnews.blogspot.in/2013/07/death-by-electric-shock-in-india-must.html


One of my video productions:

Waqt Ki Pukaar


Related Post:

Who is going to clean up this mess:

In the world where we live in, a virus born in China in the morning, travels by air to America in the afternoon and becomes a nightmare for Africa or India in the evening. Believe me that is no exaggeration.

http://taazakhabarnews.blogspot.in/2013/07/who-is-going-to-clean-up-this-mess.html

death by electric shock !! in india MUST SEEEEEEE

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Breaking News: Its official Ghaziabad is now part of West Bengal

Breaking News
Is Ghaziabad now a part of West Bengal?

Where is Ghaziabad? Till a few hours ago it used to be a district of UP with Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister, now it seems to be a part of West Bengal in Mamta didi's lap. 

If you think this is a joke  see this is what the Ghaziabad Development Authority GDA website says:


Under the head state government policies one finds a PPP notification of Government of West Bengal.


Ghaziabad Development Authority should know better


State Government Policy on Infrastructure Development through Public Private Partnership (PPP) Notification - No.2892-UD/O/M/SB/S-18/2001 dated 27th August, 2003
(Issued by the Department of Urban Development, Government of West Bengal)

The Government of West Bengal has been trying to address the need to mobilize private sector investment in infrastructure development and evolve policy guidelines for the purpose. The Governor, after careful consideration of the matter, has been pleased to approve the following as the "State Government Policy on Infrastructure Development through Public Private Partnership (PPP)".

2.1 The experience of the State Government in working with private sector for infrastructure development has been rather limited. For a wider practice of private sector participation in infrastructure development, it is necessary to instill confidence in the minds of prospective private sector investors and also to streamline the process of selection of private partners. For achieving this it is imperative to have a comprehensive policy on private sector participation in infrastructure development or, in other words, a Policy on Public Private Partnership (PPP).

2.2 Infrastructure sectors such as Power; Tele-communication; Transport -Waterways, Ports, Airports and Surface facilities such as Roads / Bridges / ROBs/ Flyover etc., Water Supply; Drainage and Sanitation; Township; Area Development; Housing and Commercial Development etc., can be considered for private sector participation in suitable form.

2.3 The major elements of operational guidelines for PPP shall be as follows:-
2.3.1 Any department/agency of the State Government may invite private or joint sector entities to undertake development of infrastructure, as mentioned in para 2.2 above. The State Government shall have the power to permit private investment in establishment of new infrastructure facilities in such manner and on such terms and conditions, as it may think necessary and expedient in the public interest.

2.3.2 There are various ways by which the involvement of private investors/developers can be secured. One of the means to achieve private sector participation is Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT), although there are variants of BOT like BOO, BOOT, BOLT etc. The scope, obligations, and rights of the participating private developers shall be clearly defined in the form of a framework for BOT projects. Another form of private sector participation can be Joint Sector Projects. Private Sector participation can also be attracted through leasing and annuity payment wherever necessary.

2.3.3 There may be a number of private entities that may be interested in participating in infrastructure development. It is essential to carry out an assessment of capability of those firms through a method of pre-qualification bids. Only the qualified private entities should be considered for partnership in infrastructure development.

2.3.4 It is essential that a private partner be selected through a transparent process. It should thus be important to invite offers/bids - technical and financial/commercial - from
among the pre-qualified firms for each project proposal. In order to provide a common platform for bidding, it may be necessary to have Techno-economic Feasibility Report prepared by the department or an independent professional agency, which will realistically frame a cost estimate and also carry out a financial viability exercise pertaining to the project proposal. Without this, the extent of financial stake of the public sector agency entering into a concession agreement with private developers cannot be adequately determined. There shall be standardized and streamlined procedures for approval of projects and selection of developers.

2.3.5 Infrastructure development projects are generally not attractive to the private investors because of potentially low or even negative returns on investment. It is thus necessary to extend certain concessions to private entities. The norms and kind of support including 'concessions' and subsidies that the Government could provide shall be spelt out. The types of concessions can be determined only after a techno-economic feasibility study has been undertaken. The invitation of offer around such concessions would bring about competitiveness among the private enterprises and a selection on that basis would ensure transparency. There is also a need for designing checks and balances for the PPP projects and the same being built in the concessionaire agreement itself.

2.3.6 There shall be a Committee of Secretaries headed by the Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal and including the Secretary, Finance Department, Government of West Bengal and the Secretary of the concerned departments of Government of West Bengal to review the proposal of the concerned department/agency for selection of private partner and give its recommendation. The Secretary of the concerned department will function as the convenor and place the proposal to the committee with the approval of the Minister-in-Charge of the department. After obtaining the recommendation of the committee, the initiating department/agency shall put it up before the respective Minister-in-Charge for onward transmission to the Chief Minister/Cabinet for approval.

2.3.7 The identification of project to be taken up should be made by the concerned department/agency. Such department/agency shall prepare bid documents, invite expression of interest, shortlist prospective developers and carry out all processing of bid formalities including evaluation of bids and formulating proposal on selection of private partner.

2.3.8 The department/agency initiating a PPP project shall have to secure recommendation of the Committee of Secretaries and approval of the Chief Minister/Cabinet for each individual project before implementing the same.

Who is going to clean up this mess?

Open Letter to Chief Minister of UP, Akhilesh Yadav

What is the guarantee that the mosquito that is born here wouldn't bite you?

Even your ministers are not "mosquito proof" - are they? 


Dear Chief Minister, 


You decide, is this the way for garbage disposal and sewerage treatment? Whose environment are we  polluting.? Will diseases or mosquito ask your address or mine before affecting us. More so, as the world where we live in, a virus born in China in the morning, travels by air to America in the afternoon and becomes a nightmare for Africa or India in the evening. Believe me that is no exaggeration.

If this is Sewage and Garbage Disposal: Its possible only in UP! 

(A routine practice at Classic Residency -- A Shree Energy Developers Project at Raj Nagar Extension, NH-58 Ghaziabad)

Hygiene and sanitation are the most serious challenges in urban development. According to the  World Health Organization only 8 out of 3,119 towns and cities of India have adequate wastewater treatment facilities study, about 10% -- i.e. 209 have partial sewage treatment facilities—and the rest are at God’s mercy. Even as per Government of India (GOI) estimates out of 5161 urban areas only 300 have sewerage network covering about 20-25% of the area. Out of about 29000 million litre of sewage produced in India per day only about 6000 million litres gets treated per day.
What rubbish ! 

There is a large gap between generation and treatment of domestic waste water in India. Open defecation is widespread even in urban areas of India. 80% of surface water pollution is due to municipal sewage, still only 21% of the waste water generated is treated.  

Untreated sewer water is the main cause of pollution of rivers like Ganges, Yamuna and their tributaries as they pass through highly populated areas and well as pollution of surface and ground water in India. The root cause of the problem is that while the towns and cities are expanding lacks there are not enough sewage treatment plants.


Most government-owned sewage treatment plants are either ineffective or just show-pieces which remain closed most of the time due lack of electricity, overall mismanagement and shortage of trained manpower. In most case wastewater generated is allowed to evaporate or percolate into the soil. This is the main cause of unhygienic conditions, surface and groundwater pollution in the urban areas.


Roughly between 242.06 to 387.30 metric tons/day of solid municipal waste is generated in the Ghaziabad region. According to the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) the total waste generated is about 387.30 MT/day.



On an average an adult passes 0.6 to 1.1 litre urine per day, depending on temperature and humidity.  In addition to this urbanites generate about 400 to 500 gm excreta per day which is still about 1/4th those in developed countries. It is a fact that the tendency to generate waste is directly proportional to economic well being, consumption and life style.

The solid waste and wastewater seeping into the landfill pose a great threat to public health, safety, and the environment. Wastewater can be industrial waste, human waste (i.e. sewage) as well as runoff rainwater. This wastewater produced by a city finally ends up in a river, lake, or ocean.

The purpose of sewage treatment is to remove the bacteria remove and biodegradable organic wastes before allowing the sewage to a sedimentation tank, where remaining solids and microorganisms settle as sludge, while the remaining wastewater containing oxygen-demanding wastes, suspended solids, nitrates, phosphates, and toxic metal compounds, is further treated before its environmentally safe to be discharged into a river, lake, or ocean.

Safe and hygienically correct disposal of solid waste is biggest challenge for civic planners in every city of India – more so because of the mistaken notion that this is the easiest and cheapest method of waste disposal. Open disposal of waste along road side or river banks is the biggest cause of ground water and environmental pollution. Physical, chemical and biological contaminants in the solid waste choke the drainage as a result water saturated with toxic heavy metals and poisonous substances overflows into surrounding lands. This is the ideal breeding ground of all kinds of epidemic and disease causing pathogens, flies, and mosquitoes.
Remember how the solid waste floating in rain water during heavy rains created a near plague like situation in Surat and other parts of India in 1994, 1995 and 1996?  

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) Govt. of India has enacted the Municipal Solid Waste [Management and Handling] Rule 2000 notified under the Gazette of India No. 648 Extra Ordinary Part II-Section3-Subsection (ii) of 3rd October 2000. These rules also called MSW Rules 2000 are mandatory for every Urban Local Body including Municipal Corporation, Municipality, Nagar Palika, Nagar Nigam, Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council and Notified Area Committee. All Municipal Authorities have to follow prescribed norms for collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of Municipal solid waste generated in their respective jurisdiction.

But what good are these laws unless somebody is going to implement them?

As it is increased human pressure and illegal boring of water in the booming Raj Nagar Extension area in Ghaziabad with it’s over 20,000 dwellings has depleted the water table – leading drying of Hindon river.  

One Day this city is going to drown in its own excreta!!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

How to buy a flat and lose sleep




The following article appeared in TOI

Prabhakar Sinha, TNN | Jul 24, 2013, 08.27AM IST

It's the biggest investment of your life and usually requires immense sacrifices. But staking your savings and signing on for a bank loan do not guarantee that your dream home will materialize. As a homebuyer, you need to run many checks on the property you are eyeing. Here's how... 
Most middle class people in the country dream of owning a house. Also, investing money in real estate is always rewarding . But since the government is yet to prepare an ownership registry of all the properties in the country, in many cases, the title of a property is not clear. Besides, as there is no clear land acquisition policy, a real estate project can run into trouble and the dream sour quickly. Besides, multiple agencies are required to give approvals before a project can take off and be completed. Unless buyers are diligent and ensure that the property they are purchasing has no encumbrances , they can easily land in trouble. 
In order to help homebuyers take the necessary precautions before entering into a deal to buy a house, TOI is taking you through the various approvals and measures that a buyer should look for. 
Checking credentials 

Shweta Jain, executive director of
 Cushman and Wakefield, says that quite often projects face hurdles in obtaining legal approvals from all the authorities. This not only leads to delay in implementation , but also, sometimes, can force the developer to scrap the project which can cause a huge loss to the buyer. 

Before finding out whether a builder has secured all the approvals to start construction, you must check the ownership of the land on which the project is to be developed. For this, you can ask the developer to show the allotment letter of the land, if it has been purchased from a government agency.
 

If the land has been acquired from farmers, check the title paper which mentions the owner. This will also help you determine whether the title of the property is clear or not. The next step should be to find out whether the developer has secured all the approvals or not.
 

The major set of approvals that must be obtained by a builder are building plans and floor plans, structural safety certificates, no-objection certificates from the civic authorities, environment clearances, urban land ceiling certificates , commencement certificates and title deed. They will also have to secure an NOC from the water authority to use water for construction.
 

Written agreement 

You must insist on a written agreement with the developer. It should clearly mention the specifications of the apartment and all the terms and conditions, including payment plan, time of delivery and quantum of penalty if any party defaults — construction deadline in the case of the developer and payment schedule in case of the buyer. This will also take care of hidden costs, if any. If one is buying a house in a completed project, the buyer should physically check the occupation certificate, fire safety equipment and mechanism, water and electricity connections and property tax receipts for the project.

This is very important as the country does not yet have a real estate regulator and well-laid-out guidelines for the sector. The occupation certificate from a government authority, in particular, is very important. It signifies that the building is complete and fit for living; and, that, it has not only got all the approvals in place but also that it has adhered to all the norms and building bylaws.
 

In NCR, purchasing a property is even more risky if one does it through power of attorney - in this, the title of the property remains with the original allottee but the rights to its use and all other benefits vest with the last buyer, who can also transfer the property rights to a new buyer. Even the share certificate of a property in a society continues in the name of the original allottee.
 

In this situation, it is difficult to find out who is the last owner. This leads to fraud many a times, and a person who is in possession of the property can claim to be the owner of the property with false documents and even sell it off. This is one reason why banks refuse to give a loan to a buyer who is buying a property from a person who owns it through power of attorney. Therefore, it is advisable to buy freehold property from the legal owner alone and get it registered in your name.
 

Using bank for checking 

If you are planning to buy a flat, the best course of action is to buy it through a bank loan. A senior official of HDFC Ltd says that since the bank accepts the apartment - which is yet to be constructed in a new project - as collateral when they give a
 home loan, they do all the checks, including that of the credentials of the builder, to ensure that the market value of the collateral does not diminish. 

So, even if you have adequate money, take a small loan from a bank so that it too is involved in the whole process. Later, if you want, you can prepay the loan as this does not attract any penalty.
 

It pays to be cautious 

When buying a property, no amount of scrutiny is enough. It always pays to be cautious. We tell you how to figure out the value and track record of a developer and get the best deal when you have made your choice.
 

Background check of the developer : 

This will help assess the execution capability of the developer on timeliness and quality. It will also help to compare the project with that of the developers' competitors. The financial soundness of the builder should also be studied as it will indicate his capability to execute and complete the project in absence of external borrowings. The developer should have a traceable track record which is a good reference point for new launches and under-construction projects. The number of projects delivered by the builder and the time taken for delivery should be considered. It is also important to be aware of the developers'involvement in any legal feud in the past so one can judiciously make the buying decision. 

Fundability of the project and financial institution affiliations:
 

If the flat has to be mortgaged, it is always helpful to identify lenders and financiers for the project. This ensures authenticity of the titles and approvals as these would have been investigated with greater diligence.
 

Specifications: 

The buyer should monitor structural and finishing specifications which are spelt out when the project is launched and marketed. However , one should supervise the progress through frequent visits to the site and ensure the specifications, as shown in the sample flats, are adhered to. In case of any difference, one can write a formal complaint to the developer and also approach the consumer court.
 

Price of the apartment: 

The total price of the apartment is a factor of the basic selling price (BSP) and the cost incurred for external and internal development , power back-up , preferential location charges, club membership, maintenance and parking. The costs that are not generally accounted for by the buyer are stamp duty and registration charges and maintenance cost per square foot. Most builders may also take the society maintenance charges for up to two years in advance. Typically, the developer markets the projects on BSP and mentions additional costs separately . In certain projects, pricing may vary depending on the amenities and specifications. Brokers may offer discounts and pay back commissions to the buyer. The buyer should compare the prevailing rates and values with those of similar projects in the area or comparable locations.
 

Mode of payment: 

Although there are a number of payment modes offered by developers for under-construction or newly-launched projects, most prevalent are down payment, constructionlinked and flexi-payment plans. Down payment plan requires the buyer to pay around 10-15 % of the cost as booking amount, around 80-90 % within 45-60 days of booking and the remaining at the time of possession. This plan is the most economical as the developer offers huge discounts but the risks are higher if there is delay in completion. The construction-linked plan has a relatively lower risk although it may the most expensive. In this plan, the buyer pays 10% of the total cost of the apartment or a specific amount for booking and the rest is paid at various construction milestones. The flexi plan is a combination of the earlier two plans whereby one is required to pay around 30-40 % at the time of booking and a similar amount is pegged to construction milestones with the rest to be paid at the time of possession.

Buyer-seller agreement 

This agreement has all the clauses, terms, conditions and legal implications for the buyer and developer should there be a default on either side. Important points are interest, penalty and default charges for a buyer and clauses of refund of payment in case the project is not completed or is scrapped. Also, the penalty in case of structural defects and delay in construction should be included. The agreement should also include a clause to transfer the undivided and common land to the society and owners which will ensure no further development or construction by the developer after the project is completed and handed over. The agreement should be registered.
 

Area of flat 

The buyer should check the area of the apartment as usually the area marketed and sold is the super built-up area which is then used to work out the cost of the apartment. The developer charges for the built-up area, which includes the area enclosed by the walls and the area occupied by the walls, while the actual usable area is the carpet area which is the area within the walls
 

Design and layout 

Buyer should fi nd out about contractor, architect and structural engineer in order to assess quality of work as this is critical if flat is for own use. Cross-ventilation and ample sunlight should be
 

Checklist 

Check with people living in a developer's earlier projects about the quality of work Prefer projects which are about to be completed Check project's legality—land title, status of layout plan and other NOCs Check difference between super area and carpet area of fl at In the name of super area, developer adds proportionate area of common facilities to each flat. This 'load' can range from 15% to 45% Go for construction-linked plan because you have to pay according to the pace of construction For loan, avoid banks suggested by developer Seek service of bank lawyer who can provide you the valuation and legal status of property for a nominal fee, usually Rs 3,500-4 ,000
 

Documents 

For Delhi: 

Perpetual lease deed | Conveyance deed | Sale deed in case of resale properties | Mutation paid | Last paid house tax receipt | Last paid electricity and water bills | Completion certifi cate | Sanctioned plans
 

For Noida/Greater Noida: 

Allotment letter from Noida Authority (in case of a plot or flat built by authority) | Registered perpetual lease deed | Proof of payment of lease rental, one-time or yearly | Transfer memorandum and registered transfer deed in case of resale property | NOC from Jal Department | Share certificate and NOC from society (where applicable as some old sectors or group housings have been allotted to societies) | Completion certificate for houses with sanctioned building plans | Mutation letter in name of current owner
 

For Gurgaon: 

Allotment letter/builder-buyer agreement in case of
 DLF or HUDA properties | Registered sale deed in name of current owner with all originals from previous owners | Sanctioned building plans and completion certifi cate in case of independent houses | Mutation letter from DLF or HUDA | Proof of up-to-date payments of power and water and house tax charges | NOC from RWA or maintenance offi ce in case of group housing 

Titles and documentation 

The risk of clear titles and documentation is significantly less if the property is purchased from the urban development authorities. However, if the flat is to be purchased from a private developer or colonizer, one should seek legal assistance to check documents related to land ownership, licences and approvals, allotment letter, sanctioned plans etc.
 

Certificates 

Certificate from society 

One should check the share certificate issued by a society. This establishes the identity of the seller. The share needs to be transferred in your name as the purchaser. This certificate forms a part of your ownership deed.
 

NOC from society 

Check NOC issued by the society in case of a resale. This NOC states there are no dues payable by the seller to the society and that the seller has complied with the conditions laid down by the society.
 

Ownership titles for group housing cooperatives.
 

It is essential to have the shares or the ownership documents allotted or transferred to ascertain the legal
rights. 

Title papers 

If you are buying the property directly from a builder, you should check the title papers showing who the owner is. This will tell you whether the title is clear or the property is under litigation, whether the land is freehold or leasehold, whether the seller has the authority to develop and sell the property, and if the property is free of encumbrances. A clear title can be ensured when there's a conveyance deed in favour of the seller.
 

Checking by bank 

For those availing a loan, the bank normally appoints its own lawyer to check the title deeds. Or, you hire a lawyer and ask for originals, don't accept photocopies.
 

Municipal clearances 

Another important document is the completion certificate issued by the municipal authorities. It shows whether a building complies with the rules in respect of height and distance from road, besides other things, and whether it is built according to the approved plan. You should also check the occupation certificate. It certifies that water, sewage and electrical connections are in place.
 

Purchase agreement 

Another document that needs to be checked is the purchase agreement between the developer and the authority or the agency from which the developer has bought the land. It ensures the seller (developer) is entitled to sell the property, states if there is a mortgage on the property, and shows if the mortgage money has been paid off.
 

Development agreement 

If the property has been developed jointly by the owner and a builder, scrutinize the joint development agreement, which mentions the terms of development of the property.
 

List of approvals 

Often a project faces delays in getting legal approvals from a number of authorities. Noncompliance may result in scrapping of the project and reduction in market value. The approvals to be obtained are building plans and floor plan approvals, structural safety certificate , no-objection certifi cate from the civic authority, environment clearances, urban land ceiling certifi cate, commencement certificate and title deed. Upon possession, the buyer should physically check the occupation certifi cate, fire safety equipment and mechanisms, water and electricity connections and property tax receipts.

(COURTESY: TIMES OF INDIA JULY 24, 2003)