Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on April 6 that legislative or rules-driven reforms can be explored to resolve several issues of mobility, last-mile connectivity and real estate affairs in Karnataka.
Sitharaman was speaking at a conference in Bengaluru, which was presided by the state Health Minister K. Sudhakar and attended by several stakeholders like the resident welfare associations (RWAs) across the city.
Among the issues raised by the homebuyers was the long-pertaining confusion regarding the registration of associations in the state under three different Acts: Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act (KAOA) 1972, Karnataka Societies Registration Act (KSRA) 1960 and Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act (KCSA) 1959.
One of the residents, attending the event said, "For registration of RWAs in the state, the deed of declaration and by-laws the state governments need to clarify the competent authorities and the processes. Additionally, there needs to be a clarification on the conveyance of land titles in the state."
Already there has been several court verdicts on these issues but there is lack of common clarity from the government, another homebuyer added.
Last November, the Karnataka High Court disposed of two cases by quashing associations registered under KSRA 1960. Another public interest litigation is pending in the case of KAOA 1972 and is subjudice.
Sitharaman said, "I can see there is widespread concern about critical issues regarding housing. They relate to substantial issues of ownership, how much can we invoke the ownership and, who invokes the ownership? And how are the liabilities transferred from the builders to buyers."
These issues are not small isolated ones, but are present at a larger scale in the state, she said.
"The state government can act so that certain steps be taken to readdress these grievances and I will convey the same across the board at the central government," she added.
Sitharaman gave an example of Mumbai real estate in its nascent stage and said that several such issues had come to the surface initially. She said that the Maharashtra state government addressed it step-by-step over the years to solve the real estate issues.
"Thus, I hope some work can be done by the state government. But from the essence of the problems raised today, anything from the Government of India, I will go back and sit with the urban development ministry to see if any legislative or legal or rules-driven reforms that can be made to solve these problems. The issues raised today can be solved by the state government, but the central government will extend the guidance" she added.
The residents attending the event also raised issues of last-mile connectivity prevailing in parts of the city, especially with several metro lines getting launched.
In response, Sitharaman said that after losing a decade to corruption, several works like the construction of expressways and proper roads are happening today. "A need for urban and rural infrastructure has been felt by each one of us," she added.
Adding to it Sudhakar said, "Last year, we have received the highest rainfall in recent decades. We could not immediately complete the roads, however, today, several roads and stormwater drains are being constructed across the city."
Additionally, speaking about the stalled projects across the country, the finance minister said, "We came up with a single-window for completion of the delayed projects across India. More than 1.8 lakh apartments have been unlocked across cities with the help of government funds."
As many as 500,000 homes worth Rs 4.48 lakh crore are stuck across seven micro markets in the country, says an analysis by real estate consultancy Anarock.
Bengaluru has 26,030 units worth over Rs 28,072 crore that is running behind schedule.
While concluding, Sitharaman said that she will take today’s conversation seriously, particularly for RWA-related matters.