Image used for representation

NEW DELHI: The home-buyers’ body, which had spearheaded the movement for the enactment of Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA), on Thursday demanded the West Bengal government repeal its own law to regulate the sector in the state. It also appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind not to give assent to the state law since the Centre has already enacted RERA on the same issue claiming West Bengal’s law would set ‘dangerous precedent’ for other states and make RERA redundant.

The home-buyers’ representatives also charged the Centre of not pursuing earnestly the effective enforcement of the law as till today many states are yet to appoint permanent regulators, start websites and establish the appellate authorities.

“Nothing less than RERA is acceptable to us. We demand that West Bengal should be made to repeal HIRA as it sets a dangerous precedent and can make RERA redundant. Once this is allowed other states will follow this and it will open Pandora’s Box,” Abhay Upadhyay, president of Forum for People’s Collective Efforts, said.

The association, which has representation from different home-buyers’ forums across the country has also taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders across parties.

TOI on Wednesday had reported that the housing ministry has referred the HIRA to law ministry seeking its opinion whether there can be two laws on the same subject. “Why should the Centre delay taking action since the RERA has been enacted as per constitutional provisions, which states that the Central law will prevail in such a circumstance,” Upadhyay said. He added both Kerala and Maharashtra had repealed their real estate regulation laws after the enactment of RERA and the Mamata Banerjee government should follow suit.

The West Bengal government has maintained that its law is in sync with the central act and even the rules notified under the law are identical to the ones notified by the housing ministry.

“How can a state not implement a law passed by the Parliament? Three years ago, we initiated a movement Fight for RERA for the passage of RERA. Now we are fighting to save it from being made redundant,” the home-buyers organisation said. It also expressed surprise over how the Trinamool Congress enacted a different law when its own MPs had supported the RERA.

