‘UP GOVT TO FILE CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST BUILDERS WHO DEFAULT’

NOIDA: Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Rajive Kumar on Monday said the state government would file criminal cases against builders who were not addressing homebuyers’ problems.

Kumar held a meeting with officials of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities in the Sector 6 administrative building on Monday.

Many issues, including those faced by homebuyers, industries, municipal services and improving policing in Gautam Budh Nagar district, were discussed in the three-hour meeting.

The chief secretary said action would be taken against builders once their audit reports are out. “Once we will have the final audit reports, we will be able to establish if the builders have diverted funds, as alleged by homebuyers. The government will then be able to take action, including filing criminal cases if they (builders) have violated norms,” Kumar said. The assurance comes in the backdrop of delay by builders in delivering flats even after receiving complete payment.

On September 12 last year, CM Yogi Adityanath directed the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to deliver 50,000 flats by the end of 2017, and formed a ministerial committee to address problems of stakeholders.

“According to details given by the Noida authority, the builders delivered 6,900 flats (in 2017) but the remaining 5,600 are yet to be delivered. In Greater Noida, the builders delivered 12,000 flats out of 27,500 flats. But these ready flats are not with the buyers yet. The builders should have delivered pending flats or shared a schedule of delivery,” said Satish Kumar, a buyer.

Homebuyers say they are yet to get any relief. “The 40,000 or 80,000 figure has been made up by the officials. The homebuyers continue to suffer because the state government is soft towards the builders,” alleged homebuyer Indrish Gupta.