Considering the lockdown announced by the state and the union governments, the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has given a deadline extension to all the residential buildings across the city. The ongoing construction projects had come to a halt due to the mass exodus of migrant laborers, who wanted to return to their hometowns before the coronavirus outbreak.
“Due to the lockdown, the supply chains for construction material have been disrupted and the labour workforce may have migrated back to their home states. Under these circumstances, it will take some time to restart work for real estate projects across Karnataka,” the circular issued by KS Latha Kumari, Secretary at K-RERA, stated. The letter was issued on Saturday.
All RERA registered projects whose completion date (including revised completion date) expires on or after March 15, the authority has extended the deadline by three months. The time limit of all statutory compliances in accordance with the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 and the rules and regulations — which were due in March, April and May — has been extended till June 30, 2020.
“All complaints cases listed for hearing up to April 14 before the K-RERA and the adjudicating officer have been adjourned except for the urgent cases. This is to avoid gathering of litigators, lawyers and visitors. The next date of hearing in each case will be posted on the authority’s website,” the circular stated.
Currently, over 3,800 projects have been registered under RERA. Those projects that are either not registered with RERA or fail to meet its own deadline to complete the work, attract penalty from the regulatory authority.
MS Shankar, secretary of the Forum for People’s Collective Efforts, said the extension was fair. “We do not have any objection. The State Government, however, should have also been considerate on the home-buyers by asking the builders not to pressurise on the monthly payments,” he said
