NOIDA: A bhoomi puja was held on Sunday at Unitech‘s flagship Golf and Country Club project in sectors 96, 97, and 98 off Noida Expressway, where buyers invested in flats more than a decade ago. The puja marked the resumption of construction after Noida Authority approved Unitech’s revised layout earlier this year.
The ceremony was led by the govt-appointed board of directors, who took over the company from the Chandra brothers in 2020 following a Supreme Court order.
While the event brought relief to homebuyers, their joy was tempered by lingering anxiety as well.
Anil Saxena, an IIT graduate and business owner, purchased a 3,800 sqft flat in Amber project in 2011, paying close to Rs 2 crore.
“I bought the flat for my family, thinking my son and daughter would use it. But now, they’ve both graduated and are working. I do see a ray of hope that we might get the flat, but there are still concerns about the legalities and other issues surrounding the project,” he said.
“The current management has assured us that the project will be completed in time or even ahead of schedule. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’ve already paid 98% of the amount, with possession originally promised in 2012-2013,” he added.
Rajnish, another homebuyer in the Amber project, struggled to recall the exact amount he paid for his three-bedroom flat in 2010. “I took a loan at that time to finance the flat, but I cleared it long ago. Honestly, I had forgotten about the project until I recently received an email about the bhoomi puja. I’m happy the project is finally moving towards completion.”
YS Malik, a former IAS officer and chairman of Unitech’s new board, outlined the new timelines.
“We plan to start handing over plots in The Willows by March 31, 2025, followed by the Amber flats in June 2026. The first three towers of Burgundy will also be handed over by June 2026 and the remaining four by March 2027. We aim to complete the work ahead of schedule, but we must consider potential construction bans during GRAP 3 and 4. We will also ensure that IGL pipelines and other cabling work are done simultaneously to avoid any post-construction drilling,” he added.
Malik noted that some retrofitting work was added to the unfinished Amber and Burgundy towers, which have been stalled for the past decade, to ensure structural stability.
Express City (UGCC Grande), situated along the expressway, spans a massive 344 acres. Unitech was allotted this land in 2006 and launched the Amber group housing project in 2007, The Willows (plots) in 2008, and Burgundy group housing in 2010, with delivery dates initially set for 2012.
