Over 75% of RERA Authorities Failing to Publish Mandatory Annual Reports: FPCE

The Forum for People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) has claimed that more than 75% of State Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERA) across India have failed to publish their legally required annual reports, an official statement said. The findings come shortly after the Chief Justice of India criticised the functioning of RERA authorities.

Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, publishing an Annual Report is a statutory obligation under Section 78. However, FPCE’s research states that seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Goa — have never published a single Annual Report, it said.

Nine other states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, had initially published reports but later stopped doing so. Among the five states that are up to date — Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand — none have followed the reporting format prescribed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in February 2023, according to FPCE, the statement said.

FPCE President Abhay Upadhyay said that partial data shared by RERA authorities does not present the full picture. He stated that simply publishing figures on registered projects or disposed complaints is not enough. According to him, authorities must also disclose how many housing projects were completed on time, how many refunds were actually paid, and how many recovery orders were executed.

The MoHUA reporting format requires detailed information on project completion status, compensation payments, recovery warrants, and defaulting builders. FPCE claims that much of this information remains unavailable.

FPCE referred to the Amitabh Kant Committee Report, which had earlier highlighted a backlog of over four lakh stalled housing units across the country. The report estimated a financial impact of more than Rs 4 lakh crore. Upadhyay warned that without proper monitoring and transparent reporting, similar problems could arise again, leaving homebuyers unprotected even years after the implementation of RERA.

FPCE has urged the Ministry to direct all RERA authorities to publish Annual Reports in the prescribed format. It has also called on state governments to take action under Sections 82 and 83 of the Act against non-compliant authorities. The organisation further suggested that the law be amended to give the central government powers to remove RERA officials who fail to meet statutory obligations.

FPCE stressed that accurate and transparent data is essential for protecting homebuyers and ensuring effective policymaking. The lack of transparency and accountability in the real estate sector could lead to significant issues, affecting not only homebuyers but also the overall economic stability of the country.