The Supreme Court, on Thursday, issued a directive regarding the persistent issue of unclaimed flats in the Amrapali projects, which are under completion by the state-run NBCC. The court declared that bookings will be cancelled for home buyers who fail to take possession, with the properties to be resold to new buyers.
Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, overseeing the case, instructed Attorney General R Venkataramani, acting as the court receiver, to submit an updated report on unsold or unclaimed properties. This action underscores the court’s efforts to expedite the resolution of pending possessions.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Ravinder Kumar, representing the Noida and Greater Noida authorities, noted that the Greater Noida authority had approved the construction of additional flats in the Gold Home Project. However, compliance issues still need resolution in five other projects managed by NBCC. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing NBCC, confirmed that necessary compliances, such as the uploading of maps to a portal, had been completed for four projects: Centurion Park, Leisure Valley, Leisure Park, and Dream Valley.
The court also directed the Greater Noida authority to approve the remaining four projects promptly and called on the Uttar Pradesh government to provide the necessary environmental clearances swiftly.
Dave highlighted financial challenges, noting that NBCC requires an additional Rs 500 crore to complete the projects, beyond an already spent Rs 343 crore. Conversely, Advocate M L Lahoty, representing the home buyers, argued that his clients could not afford additional payments, although a consortium of banks had already contributed Rs 1,600 crore, with the State Bank of India adding another Rs 650 crore.
Lahoty raised concerns that while NBCC claimed completion of 20,000 flats since 2024, only 7,000 had been allocated to buyers, leaving 13,000 flats unaccounted for. This claim was disputed by Venkataramani, who countered that the numbers were incorrect and assured the court of his willingness to provide a detailed, project-wise report on the unclaimed flats.
The Supreme Court has resolved numerous related petitions, directing aggrieved parties to seek remedies under existing laws. This decision follows a series of directives aimed at easing financial strains on these projects, including a mandate for local authorities to approve construction plans for additional flats within specified timelines and for environmental clearances to be expedited.
