Our residential complex is called Ashiana Village which has a mall, a club, bungalows, 5-storey flats and a retirement complex called Ashiana Utsav. You have to be atleast 55 years old or your spouse has to be 55 years old for you to live in Utsav.
The ambience is green and peaceful. There are beautifully landscaped gardens and fountains. A well-stocked activity centre with computer, library, TV room, table-tennis room, etc. It all looks heavenly. But is it ?
THE CAFE which is meant to cater for all meals for those who dont want to bother with cooking, has been shut down for a weeks and only just reopened. Vatika Marketing Ltd. which maintain the complex, claim the cafe has been running at a loss.
A MEDICAL CENTRE with 24 hrs Dr. facility was promised that never quite came through. What we got was a half-qualified nurse, no or few medicines in stock, and a young Dr. available for consultation for an hour a day.
THE HOUSEKEEPING, brilliant at first, has deteriorated over the years to an extent when some days, your block is left unswept.
SECURITY, like a lot of other complexes in Delhi and Gurgaon, is illiterate blokes in uniforms who dont care who is coming or going. Sure, there are the more experienced and comitted among them too, but they are in a minority.
THE SEWERAGE NETWORK seems faulty and backs-up every few days in the low-lying areas of the complex.
In the perception of many residents, Vatika Marketing Ltd. seem to be focused primarily on a marketing and sales function for Ashiana Housing Ltd. (AHL) the builder of the complex, and whose sister concern they are. There seems little attention given to engaging with managing the complex well. The cost of the services rendered / purchased for managing the complex, seems to be inflated by 50 % - while some overheads are to be expected, surely a 50 % overhead is far too much !
For the moment residents are sticking on, but realize everyday, that the dream that Utsav promised has remained a pipedream.
That is not to say that it is still not a joyful place - but a lot of the energy and togetherness is provided by residents to each other. Some of the staffing is as it should be - 24 hrs electricians, plumber, control room attendant, and security staff, but some is not - an 'Asst. General Manager' to manage a small complex who actually has to manage other complexes of AHL as well.
Given the urban mayhem that large cities present, Utsav is still a retreat, and there are things to be grateful for - but it could have been much better. Somewhere the vision of Om Gupta, the promoter of AHL - seems to have floundered a bit. We hope they can course correct sooner rather than later.
Anjana Mehta Flat M-023, Block 3
The ambience is green and peaceful. There are beautifully landscaped gardens and fountains. A well-stocked activity centre with computer, library, TV room, table-tennis room, etc. It all looks heavenly. But is it ?
THE CAFE which is meant to cater for all meals for those who dont want to bother with cooking, has been shut down for a weeks and only just reopened. Vatika Marketing Ltd. which maintain the complex, claim the cafe has been running at a loss.
A MEDICAL CENTRE with 24 hrs Dr. facility was promised that never quite came through. What we got was a half-qualified nurse, no or few medicines in stock, and a young Dr. available for consultation for an hour a day.
THE HOUSEKEEPING, brilliant at first, has deteriorated over the years to an extent when some days, your block is left unswept.
SECURITY, like a lot of other complexes in Delhi and Gurgaon, is illiterate blokes in uniforms who dont care who is coming or going. Sure, there are the more experienced and comitted among them too, but they are in a minority.
THE SEWERAGE NETWORK seems faulty and backs-up every few days in the low-lying areas of the complex.
In the perception of many residents, Vatika Marketing Ltd. seem to be focused primarily on a marketing and sales function for Ashiana Housing Ltd. (AHL) the builder of the complex, and whose sister concern they are. There seems little attention given to engaging with managing the complex well. The cost of the services rendered / purchased for managing the complex, seems to be inflated by 50 % - while some overheads are to be expected, surely a 50 % overhead is far too much !
For the moment residents are sticking on, but realize everyday, that the dream that Utsav promised has remained a pipedream.
That is not to say that it is still not a joyful place - but a lot of the energy and togetherness is provided by residents to each other. Some of the staffing is as it should be - 24 hrs electricians, plumber, control room attendant, and security staff, but some is not - an 'Asst. General Manager' to manage a small complex who actually has to manage other complexes of AHL as well.
Given the urban mayhem that large cities present, Utsav is still a retreat, and there are things to be grateful for - but it could have been much better. Somewhere the vision of Om Gupta, the promoter of AHL - seems to have floundered a bit. We hope they can course correct sooner rather than later.
Anjana Mehta Flat M-023, Block 3
Defects, delays and non fulfillment of commitments are there with all builders. There is no exception.
ReplyDeleteI have learned to live with this fact