the goan I network
MARGAO
The Goa Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) is already in force in the State, but local self-government bodies, including the panchayats and municipalities have a question or two “ how are the local bodies supposed to know that a particular project is RERA compliant or not?
Village panchayats and municipalities say there’s no inbuilt mechanism in place enabling them to check whether a particular project mooted by a builder is RERA compliant or not. RERA officials, on the other hand, say whether a particular project is RERA compliant or not can be checked on the website of the Authority. That brings the moot question what if any unscrupulous builder or developer skips registration of his project before RERA and the local bodies are not in the loop what’s going on between the builder and the RERA
authority?
Carmona Sarpanch Allwyn Jorge has raised the issue pertaining to a project in his village wherein it was found that there’s no mechanism in place at the panchayat level to check whether a particular project is RERA compliant. “I just want to know who’s responsible in Goa to check if a particular real estate project is RERA compliant. No doubt, RERA has laid guidelines for the builders how to go about in the registration of a project, but my question is whether there’s any agency responsible to check a particular project to ensure it has complied with RERA norms,” Jorge questioned.
Inquiries by the Carmona Sarpanch with the panchayat higher-ups, including the BDO office and the office of the Director of Panchayats, revealed that the panchayats have no role to play in ensuring that projects are RERA compliant. “I have a question to ask, whether panchayats in Salcete are checking if the real estate projects are registered
with RERA before issuing the Occupancy Certificates,” he questioned.
Jorge says the Carmona panchayat will write to Goa RERA, besides the Director of Panchayats and Department of Urban Development seeking clarification on the issue to avoid inconvenience.
