Hundreds of homebuyers in a Gurugram Sector 104 project on Sunday staged a protest outside the builder’s office over the delay in getting possession of their houses and lack of occupancy certificate (OC).

The project, Hero Homes Gurgaon, developed by Hero Realty Private Limited, was launched in 2018 and the initial handover was scheduled for last year. Protesters said the builder had not given a definitive timeline for the handover or OC approval despite repeated requests.

In a statement, the builder said he has submitted the documents required to obtain OC and the process of transferring ownership will begin once he gets OC.

“As a responsible organization, we have always given priority to a customer-oriented approach. The project is being developed in phases and all four towers of phase 1 have already been completed and we have submitted the necessary documents to obtain the OC. The process of transferring ownership will begin once we receive the OC,” a Hero Realty spokesperson said.

The main demands of the protesting residents include immediate possession of their homes, compensation for the delay and greater transparency and accountability of the builder. The homebuyers said they would continue the protests until their demands are met.

“We have been waiting for years and we cannot continue paying both EMIs and rent,” said Sunny Daultabad, a resident of New Palam Vihar and one of the protesters.

Mahesh Kumar, another home buyer, said, “We were promised that the delivery would take place in October 2023, but the OC was applied for only in February this year. The intention is for seven towers to be delivered in phases, but there is no clarity yet. We are already paying EMIs.”

The protest also received support from the Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association, which urged the builder to resolve the issue and ensure that homebuyers get possession quickly. “We stand with the homebuyers of Hero Homes Sector 104 and demand a fair and timely resolution to this issue,” an association spokesperson said.