Across India, state-level real estate regulators are failing to uphold transparency standards, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA). A survey by the Forum for People’s Collective Efforts (FPCE) indicates that more than 75% of state RERAs have either never published annual reports, discontinued them, or remain chronically out of date.
Annual reports, mandated under Section 78 of RERA, are designed to provide homebuyers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders with data on project completions, timelines, and developer compliance. The absence of such reporting, FPCE argues, creates a misleading perception that RERA registration itself guarantees timely delivery and adherence to promised amenities. Analysts warn that this gap undermines regulatory credibility and weakens consumer protection frameworks. In several major markets, systemic lapses are apparent. States including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Goa have reportedly never published a single report since RERA’s inception. Meanwhile, nine other states, such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, discontinued annual reporting after initial attempts. Urban policy experts note that without continuous data collection and public disclosure, regulators cannot track project completion or enforce accountability effectively, leaving homebuyers exposed to delayed or incomplete developments.
The FPCE stresses that the lack of data affects not just consumers, but policy formulation at state and central levels. Accurate annual reports inform infrastructure planning, tax policy, and developer incentivisation schemes. Without credible metrics on project delivery, governments risk relying on incomplete information, potentially perpetuating systemic delays and stalled inventories. The Amitabh Kant Committee’s findings illustrate the scale of the challenge: an estimated 4.12 lakh stressed housing units remain stalled nationwide, with 2.4 lakh units concentrated in the NCR, representing a combined project value of roughly Rs 4.08 lakh crore. Homebuyers’ groups argue that monitoring registrations alone is insufficient. Regulatory oversight must emphasise actual project completion with promised facilities, rather than counting merely the number of registered projects. Experts suggest that empowering the central government to enforce compliance, including removal of non-performing RERA authorities, could address entrenched lapses and restore confidence in the sector.
As India’s urban housing market continues to expand, the FPCE warns that failure to rectify these gaps will leave a new generation of homebuyers vulnerable to project delays and unfulfilled commitments. Strengthening reporting obligations and ensuring consistent regulatory oversight is essential to foster a trustworthy, transparent real estate environment.
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