PUNE: MahaRERA’s progress on recovery warrant has remained slow, with only 31% of cases executed. Despite state govt’s directive to dispose of these cases within three months, merely Rs 233 crore has been recovered out of Rs 760 crore due in 1,212 cases across Maharashtra, officials told TOI on Saturday.
The slow progress contradicts revenue minister Chandrakant Bawankule’s assurance during the state budget session, where he emphasised speedy execution of MahaRERA’s recovery warrant orders and clearing the backlog within three months.
The recovery warrants are issued under Section 40(1) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) against developers who neither complete projects nor refund homebuyers. Once issued by MahaRERA, these orders are forwarded to district collectors for action, including property attachment and recovery of dues. The districts of Mumbai Suburban, Pune and Thane continue to report the highest backlog of such pending cases.
“Though there was some improvement in execution rates, the scale of pendency remains significant. It requires more proactive coordination from revenue officials,” said a senior MahaRERA official, adding that it was despite the appointment of additional collectors in multiple districts to expedite the execution of recovery warrants.
Further compounding delays are 172 complaints, involving Rs 157 crore, that are currently pending before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which handles cases related to insolvency and bankruptcy. These cases are in legal limbo, adding to the frustration of affected homebuyers, stated officials
In a broader push for accountability, PM Narendra Modi had addressed the issue directly at the Pragati review meeting on May 29. Expressing dissatisfaction with the mere counting of “disposed” complaints, the PM questioned whether states genuinely ensured redressal. In response, Maharashtra chief secretary Sujata Saunik held a review meeting in the second week of June with collectorates across the state, directing officials to fast-track execution of recovery warrants and ensure accountability.
Additional revenue officers have since been appointed to assist with enforcement. Senior citizen Arun Sheth, who has been waiting for over four years for action against a developer, said, “There’s been no real movement on my case despite repeated follow-ups. It’s just silence.”
Activists and consumer groups have also called for better monitoring tools. “MahaRERA should introduce a real-time dashboard like UP RERA’s. There should be a clearly defined SOP and phase-wise targets, not just vague timelines,” said activist R Prabhu.
MahaRERA officials said the issue was likely to be raised in the upcoming legislative session. “It’s important that revenue officials are able to give a concrete and time-bound plan for executing these orders,” an official noted.
