Noida Sector 29 AWHO colony: Civilians become majority

Sec 29 club slams door on civilians
The writer has posted comments on this article TNN | Dec 27, 2011, 06.48AM IST
NOIDA: Civilians living in the defense sectors of the city are a miffed lot. Being denied membership at a neighbourhood club, a large number of residents of sectors 28, 29 and 37 are up in arms against the club management, accusing it of high-handedness and discrimination. However, office-bearers of the club claim they are not bound by any rules mandating them to allot membership to residents .

Located in Sector 29, Arun Vihar Institute (AVI) boasts of 3,000 permanent and 1,000 associate members. The Army Welfare Housing Organization (AWHO) has developed residential units for its defense personnel in the same sector. With more than 10,000 residents occupying the sectors, office-bearers of AVI say they "cannot accommodate any fresh members". However, civilians claim all serving and retired defense officers with flats in these sectors are eligible for an AVI membership.

"These sectors were developed by AWHO and meant for the Army officers, but over the years flats have changed hands and today a majority of the owners are civilians. Even the children of most Army officers are civilians, but the control of AVI still rests with ex-defense officers," said a resident of sector 28. " Though currently serving and retired officers automatically become members of the club, civilians are being denied membership," said Sanjeev Malhotra, a resident of sector 28. "We are ready to go through the selection procedure if required but we must be considered," Malhotra said.

"We should be allowed to become members on the lines of cantonment areas in other parts of the country. This is absolute high-handedness on the part of the management," said Umesh Jain, a resident.

Office-bearers say that space crunch is limiting the number of members. "Our guidelines do not mandate us to provide membership to residents of these sectors. It's the management's prerogative," said NB Singh, president, AVI.
Sec 29 club slams door on civilians
Comment: AWHO housing units have become big game money spinners and with the real estate business booming and thriving in black money and money laundering- many senior officers are becoming agents and victims of it. The main attraction of Army clubs is the cheap liqour. The civilian members should be charged the market rate with local taxes and excise duty as admissible (5 star rates). The taxes so occrued be remitted to government treasury. This will to a large extent dissuade civilians urge to become members of the AVI club.