Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has resigned as brand ambassador of realty firm Amrapali, days after a social media campaign by unhappy residents of the company's Saphhire project in Noida went viral. The residents had tagged Dhoni in their tweets, asking him to either disassociate himself from the builder or force it to ensure completion of pending work.
"Dhoni is no longer our brand ambassador... This decision was taken mutually by him and us as his name is getting sullied in a controversy which is not in his control and despite the company's sincerest assurances to buyers to sort out matters to their satisfaction," Amrapali Group chairman and managing director Anil Sharma told TOI.
Earlier this week, Dhoni had said in a press conference that he would take up the matter with the builder and it must deliver on its promises. "... if you see the economy... it is quite tough for the builder as of now. But at the same time, whatever is promised, I think it needs to be met," he had said.
About 900 families have moved in, but civil and electrical work in many towers is still incomplete, according to the residents.
The residents' association had alleged, among other things, that electrical panels were open, wires were hanging, and firefighting equipment, sprinklers and alarms were non-functional. They said their complaints were ignored by the management, which led them to tag Dhoni on Twitter with #AmrapaliMisuseDhoni last week.
Amrapali's Sharma said a controversy about some minor fitment problems was unnecessarily blown out of proportion. He said only a few of the families had problems, which would be addressed soon.
He also argued that the delay in the project was mainly due to the restriction on construction activities by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) between November 2013 and August 2015.
Interestingly, a parliamentary committee had recently recommended a maximum punishment of five years' jail and a fine of Rs 50 lakh for celebrities appearing in misleading advertisements and endorsements.
SOURCE: ETRealty.com
No comments:
Post a Comment