Track2Realty: Calling for an end to a series of windows of corruption, developer apex body CREDAI has suggested the proposed Realty Regulator should also work for minimizing the human interface in the process of granting clearances and registrations.
Commenting on the statement by Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ajay Maken that real estate regulatory bill would be introduced in the winter session of Parliament, CREDAI National President Lalit Kumar Jain said the move should not lead to setting up of multiple agencies to handle consumer grievances.
CREDAI has its own consumer redresser system across its chapters in the country, apart from various courts that take up the complaints.
Jain said the Regulator, if and when comes into force, should be the single agency to attend to consumer complaints, that too as an appellate authority, after the CREDAI redresser process is completed.
He also strongly advocated that agencies like CCI, consumer forums and even civil courts should not have any jurisdiction over real estate issues if the regulator comes into force.
He said the Regulatory Authority should consist of a three-bench former judges and not certainly the government appointed officers.
On the provision for cancellation of license and taking over of such projects by the Regulator, Jain said this could end up as the biggest threat to delivery of justice. Such drastic powers should be vested with presiding officers with sound legal background and not government officers.
Terming the provision for criminal prosecution as draconian, CREDAI called for deleting it since criminal prosecutions in business transactions are done are only under CRPC.
Terming the regulator move as one-sided, Jain said the body should cover the government agencies and bank officials and have powers to punish them in case of delays in according sanctions thus delaying execution of projects.
He asked: “Why blame and punish developer alone?”
