To help buyers, Greater Noida authority to make public builders’ dues

The move is aimed at informing homebuyers so that they can make an informed choice. However, details will be put up of only those builders who have not paid up their dues despite repeated notices.

The Greater Noida authority has decided to put up hoardings displaying financial dues of builders at their housing project sites. The authority will put up boards outside the housing project’s site, mentioning details of the pending dues by the builder.

The Greater Noida authority has been struggling to recover around ₹7,500 crore from 203 builders. (HT Photo)

The move is aimed at informing homebuyers so that they can make an informed choice. However, details will be put up of only those builders who have not paid up their dues despite repeated notices.

“We have taken this decision to put these details up at errant builders’ housing project sites so that homebuyers are aware about the financial status of the project. Besides this, we have started the process of recovering land dues by using provisions mentioned in the lease deed,” said Narendra Bhooshan, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Greater Noida authority.

The move is also aimed at putting pressure on builders who have not been paying dues.

Builders got the land after payment of 10% of total land cost. According to officials, they have defaulted on payment of the remaining land cost, putting the authority into a financial crisis. The Greater Noida authority has been struggling to recover around ₹7,500 crore from around 203 builders. Earlier on September 6, 2016, the authority had made defaulter builders’ names public on its website for homebuyers’ to see. But later, the authority removed the list from the website under pressure from builders, as some of them complained that banks had started troubling them after seeing the list, officials said.

“We had issued a land cancellation notice to a builder that has ₹8 crore pending dues. After we issued land cancellation notice, he deposited ₹2 crore to save the plot. Similarly, we will issue this kind of notices to other defaulter builders,” said an authority official, not authorised to speak to the media.

The authority will also ensure escrow accounts are opened to maintain transparency in fund utilisation as per the directions of the Uttar Pradesh real estate regulatory authority.