GREATER NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh housing department has ordered an investigation into the accounts of Greater Noida’s Mitra co-operative housing society, and an inquiry against office-bearers not providing details required for an audit.
The move came as a delegation of residents on Friday met the housing commissioner Balkar Singh, and other senior officials in Lucknow, seeking a detailed probe into functioning of the cooperative society that is allegedly indulged into misuse of about ₹5 crore public funds, affecting the locality’s civic amenities.
Residents have alleged that the current office-bears are brazenly violating rules, and using the funds for personal use instead of building roads and other services.
On Sunday, the housing society’s secretary, however, termed all the allegations as false.
Residents key demands including stopping misuse of funds, removal of ineligible committee members, special audit for five years pending with audit department, action in response to Awas adhikari submitted report after lapses of two-and-a-half year in December, 2024, collecting funds for issuing NOC for plot sale, electricity bills paid for personal property from society account, and provide documents for audit.)
On August 20, Jai Shankar Dube, the director of cooperative societies and panchayat financial audit, Uttar Pradesh government, wrote to the additional housing commissioner to provide documents and records for the financial years 2019-20 to 2022-23, to take required action against Mitra cooperative housing society.
The letter followed residents’ demands. But the office-bearers of the society allegedly did not provide required documents for the probe.
“But the probe team did not get the documents from the Mitra cooperative housing society in violation of section 103, and therefore we have demanded an action against the society in this matter. We estimate that current office-bearers have indulged into fund embezzlement of around ₹5 crore, causing huge distress to the society’s civic affairs, and also affecting citizens’ rights,” said J Anwar, a resident and member of the delegation which met the housing commissioner on Friday.
The delegation sought a detailed probe, and action against the accused according to the law.
“Under section 103 of Awas Adhiniyam (Act) not furnishing the documents is a serious offence that has five years of imprisonment and ₹5 lakh penalty. We have demanded a special audit,” Anwar added.
In 2010, the Greater Noida authority had allotted the land to Mitra cooperative housing society for 217 members in the project located off the Yamuna Expressway. The society has plots of 125, 150 and 300 square metre size for the plotted housing facilities for members. Residents, however, say that the roads, drains, sewer line and other basic civic infrastructure are in shambles inside the society.
“As per the rules the cooperative society was supposed to take care of the maintenance of roads, parks and other common areas inside the society. But the cooperative society spent the funds for personal use such as paying their own electricity bills, selling plots, inclusion of outsiders into the executive committee, and drawing funds in unlawful manner among others. If the special detailed audit is done, the office-bearers maybe found guilty of misusing funds of around ₹10 crore,” alleged Ajay Jain, another member of society.
Meanwhile, Mitra cooperative housing society’s secretary Sanjay Bhati described all the allegations as false.
“There are no irregularities in the functioning of our society. We are providing all documents for a probe to the team appointed by the housing department of the state. The probe team will clarify if there were irregularities. When there are no funds, how can there be a misuse of the funds. The residents demanding action against us are those who are using their residential premises for commercial purposes,” said Bhati.