Thiruvananthapuram: The Real Estate Regulatory Authority prescribed by the Kerala Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Ordinance to deal with unfair business practices of builders will become functional by next month, Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzi Ali told the Assembly on Wednesday.
The authority would effectively deal with scores of complaints regarding residential and commercial complexes. The ordinance promulgated in May would curb issues like builders collecting excess funds, undue delay in completion of projects, substandard constructions and lack of assured amenities, he told Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan.
“Many builders are wooing customers using attractive brochures and colourful launch functions. Buildings to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore remain incomplete in the state,” he said. The ordinance also prescribes the modes of payments by customers to builders and also restricts builders from diverting funds from one project to another.
Builders would also be made liable to provide free maintenance for up to two years after handing over a building. Kerala is the second state after Maharashtra to bring in an ordinance to regulate builders, said the minister.
Voting right for prisoners: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the government would examine the long-pending demand for voting rights to prisoners. “Since the government has decided to give voting rights to Pravasis, voting rights for prisoners could also be considered,” he said.
The wages of prisoners would be increased. The overcrowding in prisons could be addressed once the ongoing work on new prisons was over. At present the prisons have facilities to accommodate 6,217 prisoners, whereas there are more that 7,000 prisoners at present.
Pharma firms in public sector: The state government will conduct a feasibility study to explore the scope of setting up pharmaceutical firms in the public sector as part of the efforts to bring down drug prices, Industry Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty told Mr V.D. Satheesan (Cong).
The scope of upgrading the technology of Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals would also be considered. Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said that at present 31 drugs were being produced at KSDP, of which 29 were purchased by the government. Two medicines were blacklisted as they were found to be substandard. He also said that 494 medicines were now distributed free by the government and 7,900 medicines distributed through Karunya outlets.
Wildlife bureau help sought for jumbo poaching probe
The forest department will seek the help of the central Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to probe the poaching of elephants in Kerala forests. Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told the Assembly that the rackets involved in poaching and ivory smuggling could have national and international links. The WCCB works in cooperation with agencies like the CBI and the IB.
The Opposition alleged that lapses on the part of the forest officials had led to the mysterious death of poaching case-accused Ikkara Vasu in Maharashtra.
Mr V.S. Sunilkumar (CPI) alleged that though the Malayattoor divisional forest officer had got information regarding Vasu’s presence in Maharashtra, no efforts were made to arrest him.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said that a four-member team of forests officials, who left for Maharashtra, would communicate with the local police officials to get the details about Vasu's death. So far 20 persons had been arrested and the links of the racket were being unearthed.
