Gurugram: DTCP to act against builders delaying affordable housing projects

GURUGRAM: The department of town and country planning (DTCP) is set to crack down on developers running behind schedule for completion of affordable housing projects and has asked its enforcement wing to initiate action against them.

A list of 11 projects that have been delayed has been prepared. The builders include Pivotal Infrastructure (project in Sector 99), Asar Housing (Sohna Sector 31), Breez Housing (Sohna Sector 33), Tulsiani Construction and Developers (Sohna Sector 35), Arete India Projects (Sohna Sector 6), Sunrays Heights (Sector 63A), Revital Reality (sectors 79-79B), Alton Builtech India (sectors 88A and 89A), Shyam Kripa Infrastructure (Sector 109) and Aser Infra Homes (Sector 90).

Licences for these projects were issued in 2014 but lapsed in 2019-20.

“Action will be taken against various builders for breach of conditions imposed in the licences granted for development of affordable group housing colonies in the district,” said the senior town planner (STP), Sanjeev Mann.

During a review of the status of construction of such societies, officials said it was observed that the pace of construction in some of the projects was very slow. “The department found that the licence validity of 11 projects has expired,” said Mann.

He added that the licences had been granted on the condition that the builders would follow the provisions of the affordable housing policy and other norms of the department. One of the important conditions was to complete the project within four years from the date the licence was issued.

“The projects failed to comply with our terms and also breached the bilateral agreement and parameters of Affordable Housing Policy, 2013,” Mann told TOI.

A developer said the delay was not intentional. “The projects were delayed for various reasons. The timeline set by the department for completion is very tight and sometimes there are factors that are beyond our control,” he said, adding that a delay only hurts the builder’s interests.

For the past one year, delayed affordable housing projects have been under the DTCP’s radar.

The department had started regular review after it received several complaints from homebuyers about slow progress of the projects and, in some cases, work not even starting after payment had been received.

About 80 licences had been given in the city, but construction has either not begun or is running behind schedule at 40 projects.