Construction Industry News
Since the enactment of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act seven years ago, the real estate regulatory body in Maharashtra has successfully addressed 15,423 consumer complaints, placing the state among the top three in resolving homebuyer complaints, according to a Ministry report. of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The report highlighted that real estate authorities of all states and Union Territories have collectively resolved 1.16 lakh consumer complaints during the seven-year period ending November of the current year. The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Authority took the lead in resolving complaints, handling 38% or 44,602 cases, followed by Haryana (20,604) and Maharashtra (15,423).
According to central government data, 32 states and Union Territories have operational real estate regulatory authorities, while Ladakh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim are yet to create such bodies to address homebuyer complaints.
The top three states accounted for nearly 69% of the total complaints resolved under RERA in the country, with Maharashtra recording the highest number of projects under RERA at 36%, followed by Tamil Nadu (16%), Telangana (11%) and Gujarat (7%).
While addressing the concerns of homebuyers remains a major task of real estate authorities under RERA, Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri noted that the pace of project and real estate agent registrations has not slowed down in the last two years.
Nationwide, 1.16 lakh projects and 82,755 real estate agents have been registered under RERA till November 28, 2023, registering a growth of 63% and 47% respectively in the last two years.
However, Abhay Upadhyay, president of the People's Forum of Collective Efforts (FPCE) and member of the Central Advisory Council (CAC) of RERA, expressed a different perspective and emphasized that simply addressing consumer complaints will not ensure relief for buyers of households. He highlighted that some builders are not complying with the guidelines/orders of RERA authorities, forcing homebuyers to seek resolution through other platforms, including higher judicial platforms.
One plaintiff cited an example where the promoter failed to enforce the arbitrator's order in his favor, leading the promoter to consider approaching the High Court.
Further, the report claims that the Conciliation Forum of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), established in March 2018, has resolved nearly 30% of the disputes it received in the last three years. Out of 4,885 complaints since 2021, the state's 52 Mediation Forum courts have amicably resolved 1,343 disputes, while 876 cases are pending. The forum, comprising representatives of Credai-Pune Metro, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat and other promoting associations, aims to facilitate resolution between the disputing parties even after filing cases before MahaRERA.
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