Gurgaon: Directorate of town and country planning (DTCP) has cancelled another licence for a project belonging to Ocean Seven Buildtech.The cancellation of the licence for OSB Golf Heights affordable housing project in Sector 69 is the second such instance of the developer losing its licence amid prolonged construction delays and regulatory violations.The department has also barred sale or creation of third-party rights in the project and directed the senior town planner to take over the colony.The OSB spokesperson said, “The company intends to challenge the cancellation orders passed by DTCP, being arbitrary, unlawful, and contrary to the applicable statutory provisions and principles of natural justice.”Buyers of OSB Golf Heights now face uncertainty over the project’s completion, even as the department’s takeover order could pave the way for further action to address the stalled development.The project was licensed under the state govt’s Affordable Housing Policy, under which the developer was required to complete construction within four years.However, according to flat buyers, only around 10% of the project has been completed so far. The project comprises around 700 flats, of which nearly 350 have been sold.The action comes weeks after DTCP cancelled the licence of Ocean Seven’s OSB Expressway Towers in Sector 109, another affordable housing project of the developer. That project, spread over 7.5 acres, has more than 1,000 homebuyers and was also stalled for years.As for OSB Golf Heights, a report submitted by the senior town planner in 2021 had found that excavation had only been carried out for Tower 1, while Towers 2 and 3 had reached 12 floors.The developer was issued several notices for hearings by the director’s office between May 2022 and March 2023, but the project failed to make the required progress.The company also allegedly failed to renew the licence after May 1, 2023.According to the department’s findings, it has an outstanding external development charge of around Rs 6.6 lakh for the project, while the bank guarantee furnished towards internal development charges has also expired.Following hearings on May 29 and June 19, a department team inspected the project site. It found construction completely stopped and observed that work appeared to have been stalled for a considerable period.The inspection team also noted deterioration in the condition of the under-construction structures due to lack of maintenance.The senior town planner, headquarters, recommended cancellation of the licence.DTCP’s cancellation order in the OSB Expressway Towers case directed initiation of proceedings under Rule 19, which provides for steps to facilitate completion of a stalled project through an alternative mechanism.Ocean Seven has another affordable housing project, OSB Venetian in Sector 70, launched in 2019. According to the information provided by buyers, construction at the project has not started.The latest action also comes against the backdrop of an enforcement case involving the company’s managing director, Swaraj Singh Yadav.Enforcement Directorate had initiated action against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act last year and arrested him. He has been in Tihar jail for around nine months, according to the information provided.
