RERA goes for toss in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: To curb irregularities and protect the interests of buyers, the Central government brought Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016, but this law is not being adhered to properly in the district by builders.

Construction of apartments and group houses is rampant across the district. Builders should get permission from concerned village panchayat and register the same with RERA if they constructed an apartment or group house in rural areas. If it is urban area, they need to get permission from the municipality concerned and register with RERA.

Both municipal and panchayat officials and staff need to create awareness among buyers on RERA rules and regulations. But the officials and staff are not creating awareness among consumers.

As a result, violations continue rampantly. In Srikakulam city and several semi urban areas, around 1,700 apartments and group house buildings are in existence district but not even 10 percent of them were registered under the Act.

"Builders need to register their construction details with the RERA and the government also gets revenue through registration. But builders are skipping this as they cannot follow rules, which is an offence under the RERA," a senior advocate and advisor to several finance institutions, Aguru Umamaheswara Rao said. When contacted, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Palli Nallanayya said that they were observing rules under RERA and educating builders.