In Mohali, realtors offer possession of plots without getting completion certificate

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 4

While several mega residential projects have started offering possession of plots to their allottees in the district, the astonishing fact is that none of them, barring one company, has obtained the completion certificate from the authorities concerned.

The certificate is issued to a company or project when it provides the required basic infrastructure, including roads, sewerage, sewerage treatment plant, streetlights etc at the site.

Information received under the RTI Act from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) revealed that with regard to projects offering residential plots, only one multinational company has been given a partial ‘completion certificate’ by GMADA’s administrative officer (licencing).

“As per the records of the GMADA’s licencing branch, no completion certificate has been issued to any industrial park so far,” states the information issued on January 27, 2015.

In Mohali district, at least 28 mega residential projects on 4,000 acres are under way while more than 1,000 acres of industrial space has been developed and sold by 10 private real estate companies here.

“The companies cannot offer physical possession of plots without obtaining the completion certificate,” said a senior official of GMADA.

Interestingly, mega projects were earlier exempted from the Punjab Apartments and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), under which a completion certificate has to be obtained by companies.

But amendments in the Mega Housing Policy placed before the Cabinet meeting on December 17, 2011, stated that ‘the exemption under the PAPRA shall be granted only after the promoter company fulfils all the pre-conditions required as per the agreement.

Interestingly, in their agreements with the state government, most companies of mega housing projects had agreed on the condition that they would obtain completion certificates within five years from the date of agreement.

“Most of these agreements were signed in 2006, 2007 and 2008,” said an official.

GMADA Chief Administrator AK Sinha said, “After the latest notification of September 2014, all mega housing projects, including those exempted under the PAPRA earlier, need to get completion certificates or partial completion certificates.”

“We are issuing notices to all companies in this regard to procure certificate,” said Sinha.

Nikhil Saraf, president, Mohali Industries and Commerce Association, said, “It seems a few real estate developers, along with government authorities, are fleecing the general public. The public is not aware of minute legal issues and ends up signing lopsided contracts with developers, who show no mercy in abusing their dominant position. It is high time some accountability was brought in.”