NOIDA: Less than a week after he ordered FIRs against seven builders in Noida and
Greater Noida for violating the Stamp Act, district magistrate B N Singh has ordered physical inspection of homes in residential towers of housing societies to check if they have
occupation certificates.
The inspection will be carried out by sub-registrars of the stamps and registration department. Officials are to ascertain whether anyone is living in the flats that have not been granted the mandatory occupancy certificates.
Stamp department officials— three from Noida and one from Greater Noida — have also been directed to collect photographs as evidence in each tower and submit a report to the DM for further action. Between them, the seven builders have 10,318 flats, which have not been registered yet.
On January 30, the DM had directed the stamps and registration department to file the FIRs. The DM took this step because the UP government is losing revenue to the tune of Rs 300 crore that registries will bring to its coffers. "Builders need to register flats occupied by homebuyers or face stricter action for violations of the Stamp Act 1899 as well as the Registration Act 1908," Singh said on Wednesday.
"Living in flats without registry is illegal. Details of builders who are allowing homebuyers to stay in flats without occupancy certificates and registration of property will be collected and FIRs filed," Singh added. These cases will be registered under the
Indian Stamps Act 1899.
