BENGALURU: The Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-Rera) has instructed the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to pay ₹56 lakh in interest to complainant Mridula Krishnapur for delays in providing basic amenities at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL).
This decision marks a significant setback for the BDA, whose NPKL project was previously flagged as lapsed by K-Rera last year. The authority also determined that BDA qualifies as a ‘promoter’ under the Rera Act, holding it accountable for any delays and inadequacies.
Mridula had purchased a site in the 8th Block of Sector-B of NPKL in Kengeri hobli for ₹96.9 lakh under a lease-cum-sale deed dated June 10, 2020. She was allocated the site on October 11, 2018, and paid the full amount by February 5, 2019. Although BDA issued a possession certificate on June 16, 2020, the site was handed over without essential infrastructure.
Claiming that vital amenities such as water, sewerage, electricity, roads, parks, and streetlights were not provided, she approached K-Rera to seek interest for the delay. While BDA sent a representative, it did not contest the case or raise objections to her claims. K-Rera ruled that merely executing the sale deed and transferring possession was insufficient without the provision of basic infrastructure. The allottee, despite ownership, could not utilize the property or construct a house due to the lack of essential amenities, the authority noted.
“Everyone dreams of a comfortable home. To achieve that dream, one might risk all their savings and take loans that could take a lifetime to repay. If the developer misuses the hard-earned money of investors, it not only destroys their dreams but can also lead them to face overwhelming financial and legal burdens,” the authority stated.
The complainant requested ₹68.8 lakh in interest; however, the authority’s panel, led by Chairman Rakesh Singh and member GR Reddy, ordered BDA on April 8 to pay ₹56 lakh in interest for the delay period from June 10, 2020, to February 2, 2026, to be paid within 60 days. It further directed that interest from February 3 until the completion of basic amenities would also be calculated similarly and disbursed to the complainant.
