Mohali, Sept. 18 -- In June, the Supreme Court upheld a refund with 8% compounded interest for two buyers of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority's delayed Purab Premium Apartments project in Sector 88. The petitioners had paid Rs.51 lakh and Rs.42 lakh in 2012 after receiving a letter of intent, promising possession by May 2015. A decade later, the flats remain undelivered. While 1,620 units have been built, 227 remain vacant, and residents cite the lack of a sewage treatment facility, a fire safety no-objection certificate, and non-compliance with environmental norms. A month earlier in May, the Punjab and Haryana high court came down heavily on developer Jarnail Singh Bajwa, the owner of Sunny Enclave in Kharar, for failing to provide basic civic amenities. The court directed the Mohali deputy commissioner to auction Bajwa's unsold plots and use the proceeds to build roads, drainage, and electricity connections, which buyers have been waiting for since the project was launched 15 years ago. These judicial interventions highlight the scale of distress among homebuyers in the tricity. The courts may bring relief in some cases, but they reflect the regulatory lapses and lack of enforcement that leaves residents at the mercy of private developers. Over the past decade, Mohali and Panchkula have seen a housing boom, while Chandigarh's housing sector remained stagnant. Nearly 350 housing societies have come up, including about 200 in Mohali and 150 in Panchkula. On paper, this looks like a success story of urban expansion. But on the ground, the reality is stark. In Mohali district, most housing projects are in Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Kharar, while in Panchkula, they are concentrated in the group housing societies located in sectors beyond the Kalka-Zirakpur highway. Despite charging hefty sums, developers have failed to provide amenities such as paved roads, piped water supply, sewage treatment plants, street lighting, and waste management systems. Several projects remain incomplete, forcing residents to either protest or adjust with substandard construction. "Some big builders with stakes across the country, take residents for a ride and fail to provide promised amenities. With savings exhausted, people have no choice but to move in. Local builders, who reside in the tricity, provide the bare minimum facilities," says Harish Gupta, the president of the Zirakpur Builders' Association. For homebuyers like Sharad Dua, an allottee in SBP Homes, Kharar, the problem goes beyond delays. "The builder is pressuring me to take possession even though he doesn't have an occupation certificate or completion certificate. According to clause 7.2 of our agreement and Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) guidelines, possession cannot be legally offered without these documents. Yet they are forcing me to clear payments, putting me at risk of occupying an uncertified unit," he said. Such practices underline a disregard for statutory safeguards. Developers often push buyers into taking possession without the mandatory occupation certificate (OC) or completion certificate (CC), creating legal and safety risks. In Panchkula, the story is no better. The Defence County project in Sector 30, launched by GLM Infratech, was stalled for more than 13 years due to financial and legal troubles. Only in 2022 did the Haryana Real Estate Appellate Tribunal allow the allottees' association to take over and complete the project themselves. This highlights both the desperation of the buyers and the inability of builders to deliver. The irony is that even as residents struggle in existing housing societies, new projects are coming up. Mohali alone has 90 under-construction housing projects, including Hero Homes Mohali that is expected to be complete in November 2029, and Turnstone The Medallion to be ready in October. Panchkula has 44 such projects underway, including MH Meadows Home Lifestyle that will be complete in October 2028 and Sigma Residency, set to be ready in October 2026. For middle-class homebuyers, the result is a cycle of hope and despair. They pay lakhs or even crores, believing their dream home will be ready soon, only to face years of delay, missing facilities, and legal battles. Poor construction and lax enforcement add to their misery. Gaurav Kansal, the director of KBP Real Estate Group in Mohali says, in most cases, it is not the builder who is at fault as buyers don't pay the set amount in time, which contributes to the delay in delivery. Before buying, the buyer should check the builder's credentials from the competent authorities, he adds. Next: Accountability and road ahead...