RERA needs to appoint more adjudicators

Raghunathan K.C.

I had expected Karnataka RERA to work for the welfare of home buyers but it is not functioning up to the expectations. I want to make some suggestions to make Karnataka RERA more efficient.

Many builders and developers manage to get registered with the Karnataka RERA without completing or even commencing the construction of apartments. I want it not to register the housing projects without verification and validation of the documents submitted by the developers and promoters.

As per Karnataka RERA, the developers and promoters have to submit reports on the progress of their housing projects but it has neither manpower nor the mechanism to verify those reports. The other important suggestion is to increase the number of adjudicators or constitute more benches for hearing complaints from thousands of home buyers.

As of now, Karnataka RERA has only one adjudicator and it will be impossible for him to clear the pending complaints. There are more than 2,000 complaints under enquiry and it will take more time for the adjudicator to address all those complaints.

The problem with the Karnataka RERA is that its authorities are not technology savvy. They have to use technology to inspect the progress of housing projects in the event of shortage of manpower or Covid pandemic.

To ensure Karnataka RERA is home buyers friendly, it has taken up complaints suo motu whenever it comes across an incomplete and delayed housing project. Unfortunately, the Karnataka RERA has not taken a single suo motu till date.

The other important suggestion is to ensure coordination between Karnataka RERA and the revenue officials to penalize or collect penalty or auction the property of the defaulted builder or the promoter of a housing project.

(Raghunathan K.C. is a Paralegal RERA Expert)