Mumbai: Decade after project launch, buyers await possession in Kalyan

Despite shelling out their life savings and taking hefty bank loans property buyers at Kalyans Nirmal Lifestyle City an underconstruction integrated township are still waiting to step into their dream homes Eleven years after the project was announced in 2008 their allotted flats remain on paper even as they continue to pay their loan installmentsAggrieved buyers who approached the Real Estate Regulatory Authority RERA have been told that the developer has been allowed an extension up to 2020 to complete the projectThe township project was proposed to have towers in three different zones with varying amenities and flat costs PicsSatej Singh and Datta KumbharFlat buyers pin hope on 2020Most flat purchasers are aghast at the manner in which MahaRERA allowed an extension after the builder registered the project with the authority in 2016 for the project which was launched in 20082009 said Ravi Nair a dejected flat buyer who continues to stay in achawlin Andheri East Nair has been paying a monthly EMI of over Rs 17000 since 2010 Since it was a developer of repute I had put my money into it hoping for a timely possession of my house I hope the developer keeps his promise of completing work by 2020 now Nair addedRavi Nair his mother Rita wife Cynthia and daughter Shanaya currently reside in Savala Chawl AndheriRavi Gawli who had opted for a furnished house in this project in 2010 was assured possession by December 2016 I invested all my savings and took a loan of R19 lakh from the bank said Gawali who stays in a rented flat and pays an EMI of over R22150 against the housing loanAnother buyer Rajesh Kadam had booked a 1BHK flat in 2009 and paid 95per centof the amount through a bank loan However since Nirmal project was stuck I had to buy a flat in Thane West for which I took another bank loan and am paying the EMI for both houses he said however adding that he wont be withdrawing from Nirmal Lifestyle as he is confident the project will be completedRajesh Kadam and Vidya Kadam live in Thane West waiting to move to their new home in Nirmal Lifestyle CityConsumers write to CMIn a few cases that MahaRERA has heard so far the developer was directed by the regulatory body to pay delayed interest and rent to the complainants as per the existing norms which the developers did until November 2018 claimed the aggrieved parties Some buyers have now written to Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis requesting his intervention in the case They also want the CM to probe the manner in which flat buyers are deprived of their right to be heard at MahaRERA and compelled to withdraw complaints against errant developersPriya and Ravi Gawli who temporarily live in a rented house have bought a furnished flat in Nirmal Lifestyle CityPeople visiting the site have claimed that the construction is now completely stopped Only two15storeytowers are ready and scarcely occupied for the last few months Residents however alleged that the developer is yet to get an Occupation Certificate OC for the buildingMahaRERA works in larger interestUnfortunately some people have not understood the very preamble of the RERA It is not merely a platform where a distressed flat buyer can register a complaint to seek his money back from a builder It is a forum which ensures that projects are completed and homes delivered to every apartmentflat buyer explained a housing expert adding that the RERA act has various provisions through which the project can be completed if the developer fails to deliver in promised time While aggrieved buyers also have the option of approaching the Consumer Court or the Metropolitan Magistrate Court instead of MahaRERA they are timeconsuming processesWill deliver in timeWe are committed to our customers and are confident of delivery within the stipulated timeframe stated with RERA The industry has seen an unprecedented slowdown along with regulatory changes which have led to delays We are committed to our customers and are working hard towards a sustainable solution that will lead to quality construction and delivery Nirmal is also doing strategic partnerships with the best developers in the country for a number of our projects for fastpaced development a spokesperson at Nirmal developers saidHousing experts sayAdvocate Vinod Sampat President Cooperative Society Resident UsersandWelfare Association said that a judicial authority must hear all the aggrieved parties MahaRERAjudgments at times knowingly or unknowinglyfavourthe builders as the object of MahaRERA is to ensure completion of the project but this results in injustice to many flat purchasers everywhere Sampat saidHousing activist Ramesh Prabhu said that the ongoing projects which were stuck for years were included in RERA and also upheld by the High Court The developers had challenged the constitutional validity of section 7 and 8 of RERA which obligates RERA to take over the project and make alternate arrangements for its completion in consultation with the government This has never been witnessed so far though said Prabhu who estimates that across Maharashtra out of 13000 underconstruction registered projects with MahaRERA around 5000 are stuckCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates