15 December,2017 11:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Chetna Sadadekar
Benches in Mumbai and Pune to bring homebuyers and developers face to face to resolve issues
After receiving hundreds of complaints from homebuyers, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has now decided form a new body to resolve issues between buyers and developers. Under its conciliation scheme, 10 two-member benches would be formed for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and five two-member benches would be made in Pune to address the concerns of the homebuyers and developers willing to have a discussion.
Representation pic/Thinkstock
Faster pace
While Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) and builders' associations would spearhead it, the body will work in coordination with RERA and act as a support for the authority. Shirish Deshpande, MGP chairman, said, "This is being done with the help of RERA and will definitely help resolve the complaints of consumers at a faster pace. There will be 10 benches in MMR and five in Pune for conciliation purposes." Dr. Vijay Satbir Singh, Member of RERA, said, "There is such a proposal and we are working on it so that we can facilitate the home buyers."
Looking for relief
RERA allows a body of consumers and builders to be formed for such purposes. The over-worked authority is also looking for some relief with the formation of this body. Currently, there are a lot of cases RERA has been disposing off after the parties arrive at a mutual solution during various sessions.
A RERA official said, "We have received many complaints from buyers where their problems start because they've not met or spoken to the developer, [but they] want assurance or status of the project. In many cases, after several written assurances, the cases are also disposed off. Which is why, a body that brings the two parties in front of each other in cases where the two are willing to negotiate their differences is being formed."
The scheme is likely to be put on the website and linked with RERA's complaint website by January. If the consumer and developer are willing to talk, they would have to go to a new link on the RERA website following which they would be put to a bench consisting of two members from MGP and builders' associations.
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