News: Stany Bela

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru 

Mangaluru, Oct 23: In a shocking incident, it has come to light that an elderly couple which resides in a luxurious apartment in the city, has been forced to spend days without water supply and electricity since the last 15 days.

Shantharam Prabhu and his wife, Veena Shantharam, have been residents of a luxurious apartment complex in city. When Shantharam was working in Mumbai he had booked a flat in this complex. First of all he did not get the key of his flat within the time limit agreed upon, and the flat which he got was not in accordance with the blueprint. But, to avoid the legal hassles, old Shantharam agreed to occupy the flat which the builder had provided to him.

As per the agreement entered into at the time the couple started to live in this flat, Shantharam had deposited one lac rupees into the account of builder. As a deposit for maintenance, the builder had collected a total of Rs 3.6 crore from residents of the apartment complex. But six months back, all of a sudden, the builder formed an apartments’ owners association and sent notices to all flat owners to pay maintenance charges every month to the association.

Shantharam questioned this and told the association that he already had deposited one lac rupees towards maintenance at the time of purchase his flat and refused to pay money illegally, as this fact was not mentioned in the agreement. He put a demand that if he gets back his deposit he was prepared to pay maintenance fee.

After a six-month tussle over paying maintenance charges, the association recently disconnected the water and electricity supply of Shantharam’s apartment. Since the last 15 days, the elderly couple has been spending their days without light and water. After electricity supply was withdrawn, the couple used to keep their medicines and food in neighbors’ refrigerators. After coming to know about this, the association threatened his neighbours and instructed them against helping the elderly couple in anyway.

After the supply of electricity was stopped to his apartment, Shantharam fell down few times when moving around at night and while the using toilet. The injuries on him bear testimony to the horrible condition in which the couple has been living. Both Shantharam and Veena suffer from high blood pressure as well as diabetes and are under treatment. But now they cannot store some medicines and milk in refrigerator because of disconnection of electricity.

“Regarding this we have already complained to Mescom, City Corporation and Kadri police station stating that we are paying electricity and water bills without fail. But no one is showing interest in our matter. The Supreme Court itself had banned the disconnection of water supply and electricity and stated it is deprivation of the fundamental right to livelihood guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Definitely if we go to the court we will get justice. But our bad health and age do not permit us to do this. But at any cost, we are not prepared to pay money illegally to anyone,” says the couple.