No Zomato, Swiggy for defaulters: Gurgaon society puts up board naming residents who haven’t paid dues

The board does more than just name the defaulters – it spells out the consequences.

“Please note that effective today, all non-essential services-including maid services, car washing, and delivery services such as Zomato and Swiggy-will be suspended until the dues are fully cleared,” the notice reads. “All residents whose payments are due and whose names are displayed on the notice board are requested to clear their outstanding dues at the earliest”.

Another line at the bottom adds:

“RWA social events are not open to defaulters and PG occupants.”

For some residents, the unpaid dues stretch back years. In a few cases, payments have been pending since 2012 – and even 2009 – with outstanding amounts crossing Rs 1 lakh.

The move has quickly become a talking point within the township. Some residents stop at the gate to read the list of names, while others simply glance at the board while driving past.

“So many people have not given,” one resident said while looking at the board. “It’s good. Maybe now they will start.”

According to the Residents’ Welfare Association, the tactic has worked before.

“We had put up a similar board in 2023 as well, and managed to collect lakhs in dues,” said RWA president Col Surender Kumar Yadav. “This time too the dues piled up. No one is opposing. We are explaining to residents to pay up. We have kept the services – delivery and maids – going since some workers tend to multiple residents.”

Long-time resident Anil Rastogi said the dues are necessary for the township’s functioning.

“Ours is a township dependent on civic bodies for many amenities, hence the dues are needed,” he said. “Some people had not paid for a long time. It was causing difficulty, but now they will slowly begin to understand.”

However, a former member of the RWA believes the current approach is too harsh.

“During our time, we would send weekly reminders of pending invoices, hold monthly meetings over the dues, and grievance redressal sessions too,” said former RWA president Advocate Rajesh Khatana. “Now without properly reminding and intimating residents, they are being named publicly.”

At the township’s main gate, however, security guards suggest the restrictions may not be strictly enforced.

“Board can say anything,” one guard said. “But we cannot keep people hungry, right?”