UP industries minister warns Noida builders of stern action

Homebuyers demanded action against builders who have delayed delivery of flats. They also demanded that the Noida and Greater Noida authorities ensure realtors deliver flats without further delay.

Industries minister Satish Mahana assured builders of necessary help to finish stuck projects but warned them of stern action if they fail to deliver flats to buyers.

A delegation of homebuyers and realtors on Thursday met Mahana separately at the Sector 6 administrative building. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

A delegation of homebuyers and realtors on Thursday met Mahana separately at the Sector 6 administrative building. “We will provide help to builders so that they can deliver flats to homebuyers. We will not provide undue help to builders. If they do not deliver, we will do what they haven’t expected us to do,” the minister said.

Homebuyers demanded action against builders who have delayed delivery of flats. They also demanded that the Noida and Greater Noida authorities ensure realtors deliver flats without further delay.

A delegation of 30 homebuyers met the minister. Another group of around 50 homebuyers in Amrapali Zodiac and Unitech’s Unihomes protested at the Noida authority office because the minister refused to meet them. However, a delegation of five protesters was later ushered in by Santosh Kumar, an officer on special duty.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the industries minister and officials to address homebuyers’ issues at the earliest. “We briefed the minister about harassment of buyers by PAN Oasis builder for many years. It had allowed possession in an incomplete building and used poor construction material. Our builder has violated sanctioned building plans and constructed shops on the green area,” Kapil Kumar, a PAN Oasis buyer, said.

Noida authority chairman-cum-principal secretary for industrial development department Alok Sinha and chief executive officer Amit Mohan Prasad were also present.

“Jaypee Infratech was supposed to give possession by 2011 in Aman housing project but the construction has been stopped for several years now. The UP government should seize Jaypee’s assets to finish stuck projects. Only holding meetings will not help,” said SK Nagrath, president of Jaypee Aman flat buyers’ association.

In the meeting, realtors asked the minister to ensure that the state government waives off interest for the periods when construction was halted due to National Green Tribunal order and during a dispute over land.

“The Noida authority and the Uttar Pradesh government should waive off interest so that realtors are in a position to deliver projects,” said Anil Mithas, CMD of Unnati Fortune Group.

Supertech, Jaypee Infratech, 3C Group and ABA Corp, among others, met with the industries minister.

“If the authority waives the interest, we will deliver projects with the help of escrow accounts, which will ensure that buyers’ funds cannot be diverted and is spent solely on finishing the housing project,” Vidur Bharadwaj, director of 3C, said.

However, Mahana said they will waive interest for a 77-day period for 105 projects when NGT had stopped construction.