Housing Department and CREDAI Bengal hold joint meeting on WBHIRA
News Correspondent, abptakmaa, Kolkata, 30th Sept 2019 : An Interactive Session and workshop on ‘West Bengal Housing Regulatory Act’ (WBHIRA) was organized with the Housing Department, Govt of West Bengal to iron out any creases pertaining to WBHIRA which may rest with real estate developers and to address queries that the real estate industry might be faced with since the implementation of WBHIRA in the state since 1st June, 2018. The workshop and interaction was held in the presence of Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya, Honble Minister for Housing with Independent Charge, Government of West Bengal, (Retd) Justice Shri Mir Dara Sheko, Chairman of the Housing Industry Appellate Tribunal, Shri O S Meena, Secretary, Housing Department and Designated Authority WBHIRA, Shri Nandu Belani, President, CREDAI Bengal, Shri Harsh Vardhan Patodia, President Elect, CREDAI National, Shri Piyush Bhagat, Sr. Vice President, CREDAI Bengal, Shri Sanjay Jain, Vice-President, CREDAI Bengal and other dignitaries from the Government.
This was the first time that members representing the Housing Department, which was responsible for the successful roll-out of WBHIRA in 2018 and the members of CREDAI Bengal – the largest association for real estate developers in West Bengal came together on the same platform, meant for making WBHIRA implementation easier and glitch-free.
The Hon’ble Housing Minister promised to look into all matters pertinent to WBHIRA which were still unclear to developers, with the Department working together with Industry and offering to soon host a convergence programme between various Govt. Departments involved in the WBHIRA implementation process and the real estate stakeholders. This event, the Hon’ble Minister said would be organized after the Pujo Holidays. (Retd) Justice Shri Dara Sheko, Chairman of the Housing Industry Appellate Tribunal, the judicial body formed for consumer-grievances to be addressed, explained the functioning and purpose of the Appellate Tribunal in detail and spoke about the need for consumers to get natural justice from erring developers and how the Appellate Tribunal was the most apt forum for aggrieved buyers.
Shri Meena, Secretary, Housing made a presentation on WBHIRA and also helped dispel many doubts/ queries on the subject from the audience in a vibrant Q&A Session that followed thereafter. He cleared the air on many aspects of WBHIRA such as Joint Development Agreement, Defect Liability Period, Transfer of common areas to the association, Definition of land cost etc.
Mr. Nandu Belani, President, CREDAI Bengal thanked the Government representatives including the Hon’ble Mininster, Justice Sheko and Mr. Meena for their tireless pursuit of successfully implementing WBHIRA in the state and for the subsequent formation of the Appellate Tribunal. He added that since the Housing Industry Regulatory Authority, established under Section 20 of West Bengal Housing Industry Regulatory Act 2017 first came into effect on 1st June, 2018 promising to bring in regulation in the real estate industry and protect consumer interest, the industry stakeholders sincerely tethered themselves to the new regulatory ambience and accustomed themselves to its regulatory norms and rules.
The event saw participation from more than 150 attendees from the real estate community of Kolkata, Asansol, North Bengal and Howrah-Hooghly affiliated to CREDAI Bengal. Publicity : Candid Communication. Photography : Biswajit Saha.
