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Clean & Green DrivesReforming a housing society
Governance from the ground up: the reform the Indian Press Union covered.
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Ghaziabad's housing societies need governance reforms, not ad-hoc fixes
Authored article by Rajat Gupta, Chartered Accountant · Chairman & Founder, Nation First — published by the Indian Press Union, 2025. Summary below; the full text is in the scan above.
Urban housing societies are meant to provide safe, transparent and well-governed living environments. Recent developments across several Ghaziabad societies point to deeper structural gaps in how Apartment Owners Associations function — adherence to by-laws, conduct of elections and financial transparency.
In Kaushambi, the District Administration took cognizance of governance-related concerns, and the office of the City Magistrate initiated an inquiry covering financial transactions (including fire-safety expenditure), the legal status and functioning of the AOA, and pending Completion Certificate issues with implications for Fire NOC compliance.
The article's way forward: periodic verification of AOA legal status, governance-linked financial controls with structured KYC norms, audit accountability guided by ICAI frameworks, strict enforcement of safety and statutory compliances, clear demarcation of accountability between builders, associations and authorities, and greater resident participation.
Outcome on record: the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad subsequently constituted a committee — City Magistrate, Deputy Registrar, ACP and area inspectors — to receive and act on society-level complaints. See the advocacy record →