Since the enactment of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, around 2,049 projects and 149 agents have registered with Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). So far, AP RERA has resolved 158 complaints. While 3,630 projects and 1,891 agents were registered with Telangana RERA, not a single complaint has been addressed till date. Shocking, but true.
In the four-and-a-half years since RERA came into force in the country, 71,307 projects and 56,177 agents have registered themselves with RERA across the country, according to a report released by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka have the highest number of registered projects under RERA. From 2019 to November this year, 31,664 projects were registered in Maharashtra, 9,272 in Gujarat and 4,497 in Karnataka RERA. In the last two years, there has been an increase of 49 per cent in project registrations and 128 per cent in grievance redressal in these States. So far RERA authorities in all States have resolved 78,903 complaints. The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have been at the forefront in addressing the complaints registered with RERA. About 30,990 cases were settled in UP and 16,864 in Haryana.
RERA in other States
All the States and Union Territories except Nagaland have notified the RERA regulations. Of these, 30 States and UTs have established the RERA Authority. While 25 among them are regulatory authorities and five are interim authorities. The States of Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal along with Ladakh, have notified the RERA regulations but have not set up authorities. In all, 28 States and UTs have set up Real Estate Appellate Tribunals (24 regular, 4 interim). The States like Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and West Bengal are in the process of setting up tribunals. All the States except Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur have made the RERA website available.
Projects under construction
The Supreme Court has expanded the scope of the Real Estate Regular and Development Act-2016. The Apex Court made it clear that all real estate projects cannot obtain a Certificate of Completion until they register under RERA. The State governments concerned were directed to bring all such projects under the purview of RERA. The Supreme Court also clarified that even if the developers who were fined by the RERA go for an appeal, they must deposite at least 25 per cent of the fine amount with RERA.
Projects completed
Anarak Group Chairman Anuj Puri said the housing projects would be completed more expeditiously in the next two years, if all the under-construction projects come under RERA as per the Supreme Court directions. Already many developers are focusing on completing their projects which were not registered with RERA. With this, the number of houses that have been under construction for the last a few years and are made no major progress, is likely to come down significantly, he said. As of July this year, there were 6.29 lakh unfinished houses in seven major cities across the country which otherwise were launched before 2014.
