Union minister slams unscrupulous builders, asks them to stop blaming RERA

NEW DELHI: Housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday lashed out at unscrupulous builders for fleecing people for years and now putting the blame on the Real Estate Regulation Authority (RERA), which has been brought to weed out suspect players.

“First you fleece people, then challenge RERA in the court when it came into force. And when you get defeated in court, you blame RERA,” the minister said while speaking at the India Economic Conclave. Puri also said there was a “law of jungle” before RERA was enacted. “Such people got respect from us. They are given awards and such frauds are treated as champions of the industry,” he added.

Different groups of builders had challenged the constitutional validity of RERA in courts and had particularly objected to bring the ongoing and incomplete projects under the regulatory framework. But their plea was dismissed. Puri said 27 out of the 29 states have adopted RERA.

Taking a jibe at such developers, Puri asked, “Have you ever come across any other country where you put down money for a home and don’t get it for over a decade?” That’s crazy, he said.

Highlighting how planned urbanisation can help eradicate poverty, the minister quoted the Prime Minister saying “Cities digest poverty”.

Puri said the government is striving to remove poverty in all forms by 2030.