Hapless Kolkata flat buyers suffer as dodgy realtors delay delivery

Most of the buyers who took bank loans and paid between 20 per cent to 90 per cent of the price of the flats, are now paying EMI without getting possession of the flats.

The office bearers of Fight for Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 will soon take the matter up with the chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee, requesting him to take steps towards framing rules that will put an end to the plight of the buyers. The Act came into force from May 1 and stipulates that the rules are to be framed within six months, that is by October 30 and the regulator is to be appointed within one year of the act coming into effect, that is, by April 30.

Some of the errant firms are Universal Success Enterprise of Prasoon Mukherjee, Unitech, Tinkanya and Anadadhara of Bengal Shelter and Avani Oxford.

Raj Nanda, an office bearer of Fight for RERA, West Bengal chapter said he had booked a row house in cluster D of Kolkata West International City (KWIC) developed by USE. “I booked the row house nearly a decade ago as I wanted to stay with my aged parents comfortably. My father died but the row house is yet to be ready.”

This is the experience with hundreds of buyers who had booked either row houses in KWIC or Kolkata West Heights (KW Heights). Mukherjee got 390 acres of land at a throwaway price from the erstwhile Left Front government. The project started in 2006 and should have been completed by 2008. Altogether, 907 row houses were supposed to have been constructed. In cluster D, construction of most of the row houses are yet to be taken up, though 10 years have lapsed. 

The booking for KW Heights began in 2010 but till date no construction has started and the firm is now asking people to either take back the money without interest or take a row house at the rate fixed by the firm.

At Avani Oxford, the booking started in 2010 and the flats were supposed to have been handed over to the buyers by 2013. In 2015, 50 per cent of the flats were handed over without completing the facilities, like the gym, swimming pool etc. The firm told the buyers to not raise grievances before 2018, said Anurudh Misra, a hapless buyer.

Unitech inaugurated its projects, Fresco, cascade, harmony and Vista where the buyers paid more than 50 per cent of the price of the flats. There are more than 1,000 buyers. The firm is supposed to construct eight towers each having 22 floors. Each floor has four flats. AK Sharma who booked a flat in Unitech Cascade in November 2006 said that he was supposed to receive the flat in 2008. After six years, he still has no idea as to when the flat is going to be handed over to him.

The booking for Anandadhara of Bengal Shelter began in June 2010 at New Garia near the Pepsi factory. The buyers gave 20 per cent of the price of the flat at the time of booking. The construction has not started yet. Sachin Bhalotia who booked a flat said: “I am financially in a tight spot now. The money has been blocked and I have to pay EMI to the bank. The firm could not tell me when they are going to start the construction.”

Another project of Bengal Shelter called Teen Kanya is also in bad shape. The buyers booked in phases and the first batch of flats was supposed to have been handed over by 2008. Even after almost a decade, the firm invariably maintains silence on the matter.

Abhay Upadhay, national convener of Fight for RERA said “Something should be done to book the builders who did not keep their promises. The buyers who book their flats because of the big names are at the receiving end. They run from the pillar to post and face not only financial constraints but also humiliation from their family members and relatives. This needs to be stopped,” he said.