GURUGRAM: The Gurugram district administration has initiated coercive recovery proceedings against 71 builders and promoters who have failed to pay penalties and refund amounts ordered by the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, an official said on Wednesday. Recovery certificates totalling Rs 446 crore are pending against these builders, several of which have remained unpaid for more than four years, he added.
According to an official statement, under Section 40(1) of the RERA Act, 2016, amounts ordered by the authority are recoverable as arrears of land revenue. The district administration, in what it described as the largest enforcement action of its kind in the district, has ordered the immediate freezing of bank accounts of all 71 defaulting builders. Simultaneously, proceedings have been initiated to attach their movable and immovable properties under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, as applicable to Haryana.
Where the dues are not recovered through frozen accounts or attached properties, the administration will invoke further coercive measures available under the land revenue law, including arrest and detention of defaulters. Notices have been issued to the builders to deposit the outstanding amounts forthwith.
Major defaulters include Ansal Housing/Ansal Construction Housing, with dues of `91 crore; Raheja, Rs 90 crore; Vatika, `80 crore; Parsvnath, Rs 74 crore; Ramprastha, Rs 57 crore; IREO, Rs 24 crore; and ILD Millennium, Rs 8.59 crore. A senior police official said the authority does its part by penalising builders, but the process remains ineffective unless the recovery reaches homebuyers.
Recovery of HRERA dues in the district had stalled in the past, and the present action was taken after a review of all pending recovery certificates. Progress will be reviewed weekly by the DC, while SDMs and tehsildars have been directed to execute the recoveries in a time-bound manner.
