Gurgaon: Around a decade after moving into flats they had booked nearly 20 years ago, 206 families living in four towers of Unitech Fresco in Sector 50 have finally received occupation certificates (OCs), bringing long-awaited legal certainty to their homes.The town and country planning department (DTCP) on Tuesday issued a part OC for towers 14 to 17, the last four residential buildings in the project awaiting approval. With this, every residential tower in Fresco now has an occupation certificate.For residents, the delay was far more than a regulatory formality. Without an OC, property registrations remained stuck, home loans against the flats became difficult and selling or mortgaging the apartments was fraught with complications, even though families had been living there for years.The approval covers 206 flats — 106 units in towers 14 and 17, and another 100 in towers 15 and 16. The group housing project was developed under a licence issued in 2005. Residents said many buyers booked their homes as early as 2008 and took possession around 2015-16, but the final statutory clearance remained elusive for nearly a decade.“We waited many years for this day. The occupation certificate brings immense relief and peace of mind. For years, registrations were held up and we couldn’t obtain loans against our home. We’ve been living here all this time, but now we finally have the legal certainty every homeowner deserves,” said Mohit Mittal, who has been living in Tower 14 since 2016.“I was the first resident to move into Tower 17 and have lived here for the past eight years. For years, the absence of an Occupation Certificate meant living with a constant sense of uncertainty about the legal status of the home we had invested our savings and hopes in. There was always a lingering worry about what it could mean for our home and its future. With the OC finally in place, that long wait has come to an end. It is a huge relief and an emotional moment for my family to finally have that sense of security and peace of mind,” said Disha Singh, a resident of Tower 17.Fresco RWA president Nilesh Tandon said the approval marked the end of a prolonged struggle. “Families booked these homes in 2008, moved in around 2015-16 and have finally received the occupation certificate after years of waiting. It brings regulatory certainty and closes one of the society’s biggest unresolved issues after nearly 15 years,” he added.The society had received partial OC in November 2019, however, the remaining four towers were pending since then.An occupation certificate is issued by DTCP after verifying that a building complies with prescribed norms and is fit for occupation. It is a key document for property transactions and certifies that the project has secured the required statutory approvals.According to the DTCP order, the approval was granted after examining the fire safety NOC, environmental clearance, structural stability certificate, public health reports, lift-related approvals and other mandatory documents. The order also requires the rainwater harvesting system to remain operational and compliance with all fire safety conditions.Resident Jasbir Singh of Tower 17 said, “Achieving 100% OC compliance finally closes a long-pending chapter for Fresco.”Asked about the OCs, Ashok Yadav, CEO of Unitech Ltd, said, “The new management appointed by the Supreme Court is taking all necessary steps to complete pending projects at the earliest and deliver homes to buyers. In projects where possession has already been given but statutory compliances remained pending, efforts are being made to secure the required approvals, including occupation certificates.”The approval comes weeks after two other long-delayed issues at the condominium were resolved, with the swimming pool becoming operational and new diesel generator sets being installed.
