Illegal colonies on city outskirts hurting genuine projects: CREDAI

CREDAI has written a letter to CM pointing out how its projects for the economic weaker section (EWS) and low income group (LIG) in metro towns were facing challenge from these unauthorised and illegally developed residential colonies on the city outskirts across the state.

The Uttar Pradesh chapter of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) has shot off a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath claiming that illegal colonies and plotting sites on the outskirts of Lucknow and other prominent cities across the state were posing a major challenge for planned development activities and legitimate housing projects.

CREDAI said the illegal colonies on the city outskirts were a challenge for legal colonies being developed by various developers who are members of the CREDAI. (Sourced)

In the written, president CREDAI Shobhit Mohan Das has pointed out how CREDAI’s projects for the economic weaker section (EWS) and low income group (LIG) in metro towns were facing challenge from these unauthorised and illegally developed residential colonies.

“Illegal colonies have come up on city outskirts across the state, mostly in metro towns. They have come up without approved layout plan. Developers of such projects do not pay development charges to authorities concerned causing revenue loss to the state government. These illegal projects are a challenge for legal colonies being developed by various developers who are members of the CREDAI,” Das alleged.

These projects are not even registered with the UP RERA, he added.

“Houses in illegal colonies are much cheaper than those offered by genuine developers as these colonizers do not pay any tax to the government. Unaware of this fact, gullible homebuyers go for these properties because of their lesser price,” Das said.

When contacted, vice chairman of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) Indramani Tripathi said the development authority has identified 110 illegal colonies and plotting sites on outskirts of the city and decided to lodge FIR against such developers for duping homebuyers.

“After taking legal action, the authority will also put sign boards at all these illegal plotting sites warning homebuyers, added Tripathi.

The development authority will also advertise in newspapers the list of illegal plotting sites and colonies so that homebuyers may avoid investing in such properties.

A senior official of the state government alleged that such illegal colonies on city outskirts cannot come up without connivance of engineers of development authorities.

CREDAI’s suggestions to state government

Drive should be launched by the development authorities and district administrations concerned to stop illegal plotting of semi-urban agriculture land

Development authorities must publicize illegal colonies and plotting sites to make homebuyers aware of such projects

Conveyance deed of unauthorised projects not be registered by the sub-registrars of metro towns unless approved layout plans and UPRERA registration papers are submitted

Development authorities must strictly enforce existing bylaws to check mushrooming of illegal colonies

State government must issue specific directives to all development authorities across the state for stern action against land mafias and illegal colonies