JAIPUR
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) has tightened the noose on regulated market in the state, but illegal business of non-regularised plotted colonies on agricultural land, continues to flourish in the state capital, leaving many home buyers in a fix.
Many buyers continue to invest their hard-earned money in these housing schemes without realizing that all their savings may go down the drain. At the time of selling plots, the dealers and their agents lure the home buyers with various facilities such as spacious parks, green belt, potable drinking water, well-constructed roads, sewerage facilities and power connections. Once the plots are sold, the dealers vanish leaving people at the mercy of the agents.
Moreover, these developers do not develop colonies as per norms. Bharat Jain, a victim, said, “As per the initial proposal of the colony, the developer had promised that 60% area of the total land is allotted for plots and the remaining 40% for facilities like parks, roads, community hall etc. In my colony, in Beelwa near Tonk Road in zone 14, the developer duped the customers as 80% of the area is being utilised for plots to earn money. In some plots there is no space left for the construction of roads.”
Jain is not the only one, many people approach Jaipur development authority (JDA) to complain about such colonies. But nothing much can be done as these colonies are not approved by the civic body. A JDA official said, “The illegal colonies have sprung up in large numbers near the Ring Road project. The developers issue lease deeds on newly purchased agricultural land in connivance with the civic body and administrative officials. The maximum colonies have come up in zones that fall outside the city.”
For the regularised market, the urban development and housing (UDH) department has implemented RERA to check the authenticity of housing projects and to ensure that developers fulfill their commitments.