Mumbai: Admitting that the state’s recovery rate of penalties imposed by the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) from builders was only 34%, state excise minister Shambhuraje Desai directed district officials to collate information to begin property attachment proceedings against defaulters, even if they were based in other districts.Speaking in the state assembly on Thursday, Desai said that of the pending RERA penalties from builders worth Rs 792 crore in the state, the govt recovered Rs 279 crore. Another Rs 103 crore was pending in the NCLT, and pending dues amounted to Rs 430.6 crore.Desai said the state govt would undertake a special drive to recover the dues, and the urban development department should undertake regular reviews from collectors and divisional commissioners regarding the extent of recovery.The issue was raised in the state assembly by BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar, who said after RERA orders, it was taking a long time for the state to recover the dues. “The RERA law has been made ineffective. Has it become an extension counter for builders?” asked Bhatkalkar.He said that in 1 case that he personally followed, it took 317 days for RERA to deliver an order, and after the builder failed to pay the penalty, it took 3 months to get an order from the adjudicating authority. “If this is the case of someone whose case is being tracked by their local MLA, then what will be the state of the common man?” he asked.
