Consumer bodies and activists have pointed out that the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority’s (MahaRERA) initiative to upload complaints vis-a-vis projects and promoters on its website has been of little help in absence of proper details.
The MahaRERA website lists complaints against 3,600 projects from six revenue divisions in the state. These include projects where the hearing is complete or yet to be scheduled.
The initiative, which commenced in February, was expected to help homebuyers make an informed decision before investing in any project. However, homebuyers told that mere listing the projects without giving details of the complaints was of no use. The website only mentions that complaints have been heard but there is no clarity on whether it has been addressed by the concerned builder, they said.
Ramesh Prabhu, chairperson, Maharashtra Society Welfare Association, said that while the website displays the project number, the name of the project, division, and the complaint number, however, once a complaint is heard, the order is not uploaded, and the nature of the complaint is not mentioned. “These are essential details for making an informed decision. If the order is displayed, it will help homebuyers.” Prabhu said. The data uploaded on the website are from 2017 to date.
Earlier, information relating to complaints was available only to complainants and the respondent promoters. The final orders were only available in the public domain.While the basic objective of the new initiative is to let consumers know the total number and status of complaints relating to real estate projects, prospective homebuyers do not find the website citizen-friendly. “I was going to invest in a project in Pune district. However, even though I have found the name of the project, I am not sure whether the complaints have been resolved and if the builder is abiding by the rules,” said Shekar Shetty, an investor.
Another citizen, who accessed the website, said that the main page should highlight the details and there should be more awareness regarding the initiative.