The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to continue its stop-work order on under-construction high-rise projects undergoing safety audits, even as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) granted a four-month extension for real estate project completion timelines under the force majeure provision.
The stop-work order, imposed following the warehouse collapse near Taratala, remains in force until safety audits of nearly 500 under-construction high-rise projects are completed. According to KMC administrator Smita Pandey, only projects that have successfully cleared the audit process will be permitted to resume construction. New developments, however, may commence work after submitting an undertaking confirming compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.
The Centre’s advisory, issued on August 1, invokes the force majeure clause in light of supply chain disruptions caused by the Iran conflict. MoHUA has advised state Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs) to extend the registration and completion timelines of projects whose scheduled completion dates fall on or after February 28, 2026, by four months.
While developers have welcomed the Centre’s move, they argue that the extension will not sufficiently address the challenges faced by projects in Kolkata. Industry representatives point out that construction activity has already been affected by multiple disruptions, including election-related restrictions, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, and the prolonged suspension of high-rise construction following the civic body’s order.
Developers had requested KMC to allow construction to resume based on compliance undertakings while audits continued. However, the civic body declined the proposal, maintaining that work can restart only after individual projects receive audit clearance.
According to industry estimates, the continued suspension could significantly delay project delivery schedules. Even if construction resumes immediately after approval, developers say mobilising labour and restarting operations would take several weeks. Combined with earlier disruptions, project completion timelines could be pushed back by as much as ten months.
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) has indicated that it will seek a longer extension from the state government, arguing that the Centre’s four-month relief does not adequately compensate for the cumulative delays experienced in Kolkata. Developers have also requested corresponding extensions for plan sanction validity and other regulatory approvals from both Bengal RERA and the KMC.
