Despite the District Magistrate’s intervention, Noida’s AOA elections are delayed, causing inconvenience to residents.
NEW DELHI: Despite the intervention of Noida’s District Magistrate, Manish Kumar, elections in several high-rise societies remain pending. Residents have reported receiving uncooperative responses from the Deputy Registrar of Firms, Societies, and Chits, Rishabh Agarwal, who, according to them, has repeatedly postponed the election procedures. Elections have either faced significant delays or have never taken place in at least 30 societies across Gautam Buddha Nagar. Earlier this month, the District Magistrate emphasised the critical need for timely elections and instructed all relevant officials to expedite the process. However, authorities have shown little urgency in following these directives. Brijesh Sharma, a resident of Antriksh Golf View 2 in Sector 78, Noida, informed The Sunday Guardian that their society has never conducted an AOA (Apartment Owners Association) election due to ongoing disputes between the builder and the authorities. As a result, residents are facing considerable inconvenience due to the absence of an official body to handle day-to-day management issues. He appealed to the District Magistrate to treat the issue with urgency and implement a practical solution. Naveen Dubey, a resident of a 7x society in Noida, shared that AOA elections have not been held in their society for the past six years. Although the Deputy Registrar eventually issued an order for elections, the process remains stalled in bureaucratic channels and may be delayed for another month or two. He has urged the District Magistrate to compel the relevant officials to act swiftly. In a similar situation, a resident of flat number 043 in Tower Q of Gulshan Ikebana, located in Sector 143, Noida, reported that residents have been living there since 2016, with nearly 97% of the flats now registered and handed over. However, according to the resident, the builder—Gulshan Homes— continues to operate independently without initiating AOA formation. The society’s maintenance is still controlled by the builder’s agency. Moreover, residents are being billed Rs 950 monthly as club charges, despite already paying separate maintenance fees for shared facilities—fees that exceed those in neighbouring societies. The resident urged the Noida Authority and the Deputy Registrar to intervene immediately, initiate elections, and help form a functioning AOA. Sumit Dubey, a resident of Express Zenith in Noida, said their society has lacked an AOA since 2016. He revealed that residents once attempted to establish an AOA on their own, but the builder allegedly used his influence to dissolve the elected body two years ago. Since then, the society has been operating without a representative body, causing numerous complications. Several letters have been sent to the Deputy Registrar, but no effective action has resulted from these appeals. Puneet, another high-rise resident who preferred to keep his society’s name undisclosed, said delays in elections are often caused by hesitation in assigning key AOA roles to individuals. He added that the Deputy Registrar’s persistent lack of timely responses significantly contributes to the delays. He called on the Uttar Pradesh government to digitise the entire election procedure to prevent deliberate postponements, emphasising that AOA elections should ideally be held within the first quarter of each year. Jitendra Kumar Bhel, a resident of Mahagun Modern Society, provided a different perspective. He reported that residents had demanded a comprehensive 10-member AOA election. However, with support from the builder, the existing AOA conducted elections for only three members. These elections were limited to a hand-picked group, allowing them to retain control over society affairs without broader public representation. Though a complaint was submitted to the Deputy Registrar and a directive was issued to conduct elections for all 10 positions, the directive remains unimplemented. Sachin Goyal, Senior Vice President of NOFAA (Noida Federation of Apartment Associations), told The Sunday Guardian, “I believe the authorities must streamline the AOA election process as outlined under the UP Apartment Act. A dedicated officer should be appointed to oversee timely elections and resolve internal disputes among residents. At NOFAA, we are ready to assist and act as observers in the election process, but the administration must take the lead and initiate the required actions.” Agarwal, told The Sunday Guardian that, following the District Magistrate’s orders, he is now personally monitoring the progress of AOA elections. He added that most pending elections will be completed within the next month to ensure that residents are no longer inconvenienced. He also urged any society facing issues in conducting its AOA election to bring their concerns directly to him so he can address them promptly. Meanwhile, The Sunday Guardian attempted to reach the CEO of the Noida Authority, but calls went unanswered.