UP-Rera to address the issue of Shahberi home buyers

Greater Noida: Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP-Rera), announced on Thursday that it will address issues being faced by Shahberi homebuyers, who have purchased flats in buildings, which were built without approval.

UP-Rera has decided to hear cases of homebuyers who have booked flats in 426 illegal housing projects, which were built on notified land in Greater Noida’s Shahberi area. The notified area is the land identified by the Greater Noida authority for planned development of housing projects, officials said.

However, the UP-Rera will not entertain cases pertaining to buildings that were built in Shahberi’s Abadi (residential) area.

On July 17, 2018, nine persons were killed in a twin-building collapse in Greater Noida’s Shahberi village, following which the state government decided to seek a solution to the issues faced by homebuyers, who were offered cheap flats built without approval, officials of the Greater Noida authority said.

“We have decided to hear cases of homebuyers, who are suffering at the hands of developers, who have built residential buildings without seeking approval from the local authority, as per rules. If buyers will file cases before the UP-Rera, then we will ensure that they get their money back from builders,” Balvinder Kumar, member, UP-Rera, said.

According to a survey done by the Greater Noida authority, there are 426 buildings that were constructed without permission from the authority and in violation of building by-laws. Apart from these, there are five commercial buildings in Shahberi, which are illegal and notices have been served to their owners.

Now, the Greater Noida authority is conducting a safety audit by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to check the structural strength of these buildings. The government had asked the authority to conduct a safety audit to ensure that the occupants of these buildings are safe.