In response to rising complaints about the use of forged documents for project registrations, the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) has stepped up its efforts to combat fraud. The Authority has directed planning authorities to verify the authenticity of Occupancy Certificates (OCs) for lapsed real estate projects within 10 days. If the authorities fail to respond within the given timeframe, MahaRERA will assume approval, and any discrepancies found later will hold the planning authority responsible.

The crackdown follows a series of fraudulent construction activities, particularly in the Kalyan-Dombivli region, where developers used fake documents to secure approvals. MahaRERA has now instructed planning authorities to verify the OCs for 3,699 lapsed projects that have been uploaded to its website. The housing regulator had previously served notices to developers whose projects had lapsed, and in response, 3,699 developers claimed that their projects had been completed, uploading OCs to the MahaRERA website.

As part of the verification process, MahaRERA is sending project details to planning authorities across the state, requesting confirmation that the uploaded OCs were indeed issued by the authorities. The authorities must respond within 10 days. If no response is received, MahaRERA will consider the OCs as genuine and mark the projects as completed.

MahaRERA has made it clear that if any discrepancies are found after the verification process, the concerned planning authority will bear full responsibility for any risks and costs involved. The 3,699 projects include 1,819 from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 1,223 from the Pune region, 273 from the Nashik region, 132 from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar region, 84 from the Amravati region, and 168 from the Nagpur region.

According to MahaRERA’s regulations, all housing projects must be registered with the authority before developers can begin selling units. Developers are required to submit quarterly progress updates and annual audit reports during the construction phase. Once the project is completed, the respective planning authority issues an Occupancy Certificate, which must be uploaded to the MahaRERA website. Only after the OC is accepted by MahaRERA can the promoter withdraw remaining funds from the project account. Following this, no further disclosures are required for the project.

The move by MahaRERA comes in the wake of a significant real estate fraud uncovered a few years ago in Kalyan-Dombivli, where developers used forged documents to gain regulatory approvals and proceed with construction.

Knowledge Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/real-estate/maharera-directs-planning-authorities-to-verify-authenticity-of-occupation-certificates-for-lapsed-real-estate-projects-101745506569289.html