THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is yet to finalise fresh rules as well as constitute the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) though a year has lapsed since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act that sought to protect customers from cheating by real estate developers. The undue delay is thanks to the influence the builders' lobby has exerted on the government, it is alleged. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act came into effect in May 2017 and many states, including neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, already formed the Authority and started implementation of norms, including mandatory registration of real estate projects.
Local self-government minister K.T. Jaleel told DC that the framing of the new rules on the basis of the central Act was in the final stages. Steps to form the authority and the appellate tribunal would be initiated immediately, he said. Dr Jaleel said the delay was due to technical issues as the state had earlier passed a state Act in this regard (Kerala Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act – 2016) and also framed rules. But the central Act came into effect afterwards and hence the state Act had to be repealed and fresh rules need to framed on the basis of the central Act. “The subject committee of the state assembly has already cleared the draft rules and it would be notified soon," the minister said.
The state had appointed local self government secretary B. Ashok as an interim chairman of the Authority couple of months ago but the Authority remained defunct as no member was appointed. Now Dr Ashok, who has since been transferred from the post has gone on long leave, the authority remains headless.
The previous UDF government had appointed former chief town planner S. Ajayakumar as the chairman of the Authority but the LDF government dissolved it as the central Act came into effect. The central Act gives more teeth to the Authority compared to the state actas it brings even projects of 500 square metre under the purview of the Authority while it was 1000 square metres in the state Act. Villa projects with eight units, instead of 12 under the state Act, also come under the central Act.
