26 - 08 - 2020

CREDAI Bengal Daily News Update | 26.08.20

Government consumption key to demand growth in economy, RBI

says

Government consumption will support current economic demand while private consumption is

likely to lead a recovery that takes hold after the coronavirus pandemic eases, the central bank

said on August 25.

June-quarter GDP (gross domestic product) data set to be released at the end of August is

expected to show a contraction of 20%, according to a Reuters poll.

"An assessment of aggregate demand during the year so far suggests that the shock to

consumption is severe, and it will take quite some time to mend and regain the pre-COVID-19

momentum," the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its annual report.

"Going forward, government consumption is expected to continue pandemic-proofing of

demand."

Private consumption will come back gradually with non-discretionary spending leading the

way, until a durable increase in disposable incomes enables discretionary spending to catch up,

the bank added.

"The upticks that became visible in May and June after the lockdown was eased in several parts

of the country appear to have lost strength in July and August," the bank said.

This weakening was mainly due to reimposition or tougher imposition of lockdowns, suggesting

that contraction in economic activity was likely to be prolonged into the second quarter, it

added.

Key downside risks to growth are wider pandemic spread, a deviation of seasonal monsoon

rains from the predicted normal volume and global financial market volatility, the bank said.

It called for the banking sector to be freed of a risk aversion that is impeding the flow of credit

to productive sectors and undermining banks' role in the economy.

Despite a reduction in bad loans in March 2020, the banking system's resilience will be tested

by the economic fallout of the pandemic, since measures to alleviate it had masked the

consequent build-up of stress in the system, the bank said.

"Against this backdrop, a recapitalisation plan for public and private sector banks assumes

critical importance," it added.

Newspaper/Online The Times Of India ( online )

Date August 25, 2020

Link https://content.magicbricks.com/property-news/government-consumption-key-to-

demand-growth-in-economy-rbi-says/115591.html

In a separate report, the RBI had warned that banks' bad loans could nearly double by the end of

this fiscal year, while the capital adequacy ratio could fall to 11.8% in a severely stressed

situation.

The RBI's balance sheet increased 30.02% by June 30, it added.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Bengaluru development body to send notices to over 1,000 land

encroachers

HSR Layout, Pillanna Garden are part of the 64 BDA-developed layouts where the

authority conducted an audit over the last two years as part of its effort to identify both

the extent of land owned by the government agency as well as recover encroachments.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is busy making preparations to slap notices on

1,090 land encroachers who are sitting pretty on two prime residential layouts – HSR

Layout and Pillanna Garden in Kadugondanahalli.

These two places are part of the 64 BDA-developed layouts where the authority conducted an

audit over the last two years as part of its effort to identify both the extent of land owned by the

government agency as well as recover encroachments.

Officials said they found 560 and another 530 properties encroached upon in HSR Layout and

Pillanna Garden, respectively. The Land Audit Committee of the BDA, however, is yet to

decide on the fee to be charged for regularising the properties.

Sources said the matter is being discussed at the chief ministerial level. Officials said the

encroachers can regularise their construction by paying penalties under section 38(D) of the

BDA Act, 1976, popularly called as Akrama-Sakrama scheme.

The BDA, which is currently creating an online platform to receive applications from land

encroachers, is likely to issue notices in a week’s time. “We have more or less identified land

encroachments in all our layouts. While the purpose of land audit was meant for identifying the

extent of properties owned by the BDA, it has now helped us to either recover encroachments or

sell them by penalising the encroachers,” Dr HR Mahadev, BDA Commissioner said.

While the government has already taken a decision to charge 10 per cent, 20 per cent and 40 per

cent of the guidance value for revenue sites measuring 20x30 sq ft, 30x40 sq ft and 40x60 sq ft,

respectively, a regularisation fee has not been fixed for BDA encroached properties.

Officials estimate the 64 layouts are spread across over 38,390 acres of land. Other than HSR

Layout and Pillanna Garden, the BDA is learnt to have reported encroachment of over 6,000

acres in all the 64 BDA-owned layouts but the officials have not disclosed the full details. The

authority took the help of an external agency as well as the Karnataka State Remote Sensing

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/bengaluru-

development-body-to-send-notices-to-over-1000-land-encroachers/77755810

Application Centre (KSRSAC) to conduct the land audit.

Sai Dutta, RTI activist said he is happy that the BDA has decided to start the regularisation

process. “It’s not that the engineers in BDA did not know about the encroachments. The zonal

engineers kept mum and let it happen. What we are seeing is the complete failure of the BDA to

act over the years,” he said and added that the authority started acting only after a case was filed

in the Lokayukta.

Kavitha Reddy, a citizen activist from HSR Layout said none of the encroachers should be

spared from the exercise. “The BDA had made similar announcements even in the past but the

elected representatives ensured the project does not take off. The BDA’s plan to sell civic

amenities (CA) sites at the rate of guidance value too appears to be a bad move as no money can

replace the value of the land,” she said.

________________________________________________________________

Kochi civic body plans to secure nod for cost escalation of RAY

project

The revised estimate has resulted in the escalation of cost of a 300sqft apartment unit to

Rs 19.5 lakh, excluding the cost of land component, from Rs 7.40 lakh.

Almost one year after their decision to increase the cost of the ground-plus-eleven-storeyed

apartment complex being constructed at Thuruthi in Fort Kochi under Rajiv Awas

Yojana (RAY), the corporation authorities have started a move to secure the corporation

council’s nod for the same.

The revised estimate has resulted in the escalation of cost of a 300sqft apartment unit to Rs 19.5

lakh, excluding the cost of land component, from Rs 7.40 lakh.

The corporation authorities have also started moves to ratify the act of mayor Soumini Jain

giving back the security deposit of Rs 91 lakh to the contractor at the council meeting. As per

the norms, the anticipatory approvals given should be ratified by the council when it meets next.

The act of the mayor is said to be in violation of norms as the security deposit is supposed to be

given back to the contractor after completing the works and also after the expiry of the

guarantee period as per the agreement.

But the mayor gave anticipatory approval for returning the amount to the contractor despite the

fact that work on only one-and-a-half floors of the structure has been completed. Though TOI

tried to contact Jain over phone, she was not available for comments.

The mayor is now in quarantine after she became the primary contact of a councillor who tested

positive for coronavirus a few days ago. Going by her earlier comments, she gave anticipatory

approval as per the advice of a committee led by the then superintending engineer of the

corporation. The engineer had told that there are no legal issues in giving back the fund to the

contractor.

Similarly, authorities are unable to clarify why the cost of an individual apartment unit shot up

to Rs 19.5 lakh. According to the professionals in the real estate sector, the cost of a 300sqft

apartment unit can be around Rs 7.5 lakh.

Even the finance standing committee of the corporation is of the opinion that the cost escalation

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/residential/kochi-civic-body-

plans-to-secure-nod-for-cost-escalation-of-ray-project/77735424

should be examined in detail. “The standing committee has also asked the corporation to initiate

a separate tender for carrying out the works using additional funds after fixing the rates

properly,” one of the members of the committee said.

Opposition councillors had lodged a complaint with the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau

alleging that there are anomalies in the mayor’s act of giving anticipatory approval for giving

back the security deposit. A probe by performance audit wing of the state government into the

case is pending.

________________________________________________________________

Gurugram: Farmhouses get notices, but no government action yet

The authorities were supposed to remove illegal structures after the notice was issued.

Meanwhile, illegal construction work is being carried out in the area.

No action has been taken against 195 farmhouses in Raisina hills of Aravalis, even though

the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) sent demolition notices to them two

months ago, giving a three-day period to respond to it.

The authorities were supposed to remove illegal structures after the notice was issued.

Meanwhile, illegal construction work is being carried out in the area.

According to the regional office of HSPCB, it is waiting for orders from Chandigarh before

going ahead with any action.

“We are still waiting for the order,” said an official of HSPCB. The land falls under ‘gair

mumkin pahar’ category. According to the Union environment ministry’s Aravali notification,

‘gair mumkin pahar’ is protected land where construction of buildings, roads, electrification and

cutting of trees are not allowed.

The committee, which was formed in July 2019, was supposed to be set up in October 2018 to

identify the status of land. Its report in June had pointed out violations by 195 farmhouses. After

that, the notices were served to the farm houses.

TOI had reported on July 17 that construction at two sites in the Aravalli Rretreat was carried

out after removing vegetation on the land. Trees have also been felled to widen a pathway.

This started when NGT in 2003 took notice of TOI article on Aravalis of Gurgaon and

Faridabad. The tribunal had taken it as a suo motu case, and then it was turned into Sonya

Ghosh Vs. State of Haryana in the same year. The judgment came in 2018 in the case. As per

the order, it was stated that “construction on forest land or area covered by Aravali Notification

is illegal, and such forest land has to be restored. In view of the above, any construction raised

on the forest area or the area otherwise covered by Notification dated 07.05.1992 without

permission of the competent authority (after the date of the said Notification) has to be treated

as illegal and such forest land has to be restored…”

Environmentalists pointed out that the action in this case has been delayed. “A district-level

committee was supposed to be set up after the NGT issued an order in October 2018 for

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/residential/gurugram-

farmhouses-get-notices-but-no-government-action-yet/77755755

restoring the forest cover, but it took more than eight months to form the panel and still

construction is under way in the area. No demolition drive has been carried out in the area so

far,” said Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist.

________________________________________________________________

GNIDA sees red as flats in Ghaziabad dump waste in green belt

The drivers and cleaners of these vehicles disclosed the names of certain high-rise

apartments located within Crossings Republik township in neighbouring Ghaziabad from

where the garbage was collected for disposal.

Over the past fortnight, officials of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority

(GNIDA) have seized six tractor-trolleys which were illegally dumping waste in its green belt.

The drivers and cleaners of these vehicles disclosed the names of certain high-rise apartments

located within Crossings Republik township in neighbouring Ghaziabad from where the

garbage was collected for disposal.

GNIDA has now written to the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) providing details of

the buildings from where the garbage was collected and has asked it to take action. Chief

executive officer of the GNIDA, Narendra Bhooshan said that a complaint against the vehicles

has been lodged with police. “We will also follow up with authorities in Ghaziabad to put a

check on this menace and issue warnings to housing societies which are dumping waste in the

open,” he added.

GNIDA officials said the tractors crossed the Shahberi furniture market and dumped the waste

in the green belt parallel to 130-metre road near Ek Murti and Tilpata Chowk. “We managed to

identify six vehicles during an inspection over the past two weeks. They were seized and will be

handed over to the police,” said an official.

Among the six vehicles, only two tractors had proper registration plates while the registration

details of the remaining four have been sought from the transport department in both Noida and

Ghaziabad.

Meanwhile, residents of Crossings Republik stated that proper garbage disposal is a big

problem particularly in those buildings which have not been handed over to the residents. Also,

since the Ghaziabad municipal corporation is yet to take over the locality, residents have to

make arrangements of garbage disposal on their own.

Crossings Republik Township comprises 29 high-rise buildings with around 15,000 flats.

President of Crossings Republik Owners and Members Association (CROMA) Tarun Chauhan

said, “Residents pay the tractor owners for transporting the waste to a landfill site. It is usually

disposed of in Pratap Vihar, but some of them go towards Greater Noida Extension since it is

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/infrastructure/gnida-sees-red-as-

flats-in-ghaziabad-dump-waste-in-green-belt/77735522

nearby and they save money.”

Tractor owners charge Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 for disposing of the unsegregated waste.

________________________________________________________________

De-seal all residential premises in Delhi sealed by monitoring

committee: SC

On August 14, the top court had quashed this report, observing that the committee did not

have jurisdiction to seal these premises.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that all residential premises in Delhi, sealed by the

monitoring committee for constructing unauthorised structures, should be de-sealed

immediately.

A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari noted the

submissions made by senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who was amicus curiae, and senior

advocate Sanjiv Sen on the matter.

Counsel informed the bench that its order has been complied in connection with the premises,

where specific unauthorised constructions were allegedly carried out, in the Vasant Kunj and

Rajokri area, which were covered under the report number 149.

On August 14, the top court had quashed this report, observing that the committee did not have

jurisdiction to seal these premises.

It had said it would not be appropriate to the Committee to usurp statutory powers and act

beyond authority conferred upon it by the top court.

"We request the Committee as well as the Corporations to examine other similar cases and to

take action as per the order passed by this court on August 14, suo moto and there need not be

any necessity of multiplying the applications to this court and only those applications will be

entertained by this court which are not covered by the order dated August 14," said the bench in

the order on Tuesday.

The bench also appreciated the work done by Ranjit Kumar for the betterment of the

environment and asked the Delhi government to pay Rs 50 lakh to him, but he declined to

accept it.

The bench said: "Though we have ordered the payment of Rs 50 lakh to Ranjit Kumar, but he

has declined to receive any payment. Hence, the amount not to be paid. We appreciate his

gesture which has really moved us."

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/de-seal-all-

residential-premises-sealed-by-monitoring-committee-sc/77755770

In the August 14 order, the top court had said: "The Monitoring Committee could not have

sealed the residential premises, which were not misused for the commercial purpose as done

vide report No 149, nor it could have directed the demolition of those residential properties."

The bench had said the properties sealed as per the report be de-sealed, and possession be

restored to the owners forthwith within three days.

However, the top court clarified that this order does not at all mean to belittle the yeoman

service done by the Monitoring Committee for protection of Delhi. "No doubt about it that

matter of encroachment is a matter of concern, but the Monitoring Committee can act within the

four corners of powers conferred upon it and purpose for which the court appointed the

Monitoring Committee. It cannot exceed its powers and take any action beyond its authorization

by the court," noted the top court.

The Monitoring Committee, comprising K.J. Rao, former advisor to the Election Commission;

Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority; and Major

Gen S.P. Jhingon (retd), was set up on March 24, 2006, by the top court.

________________________________________________________________

Realty companies in Goa to face brunt of NGT's private forest

order

This land was not considered as private forest by government constituted D’Souza

Committee while the Sharma Committee constituted under NGT directions included it as

private forest.

National Green Tribunal’s recent order to notify 46.11 sq km private forest in Goa includes

approximately 100 hectares of land belonging to real estate entities in the state.

This land was not considered as private forest by government constituted D’Souza Committee

while the Sharma Committee constituted under NGT directions included it as private forest.

Goa Foundation pointed it out before the NGT in August about the ownership being held by the

companies.

D’Souza committee in its report of 2020 excluded the crucial area of 1.04 sqkm from the green

cover “without following standard statistical procedure and committed flaws in calculation of

canopy density”.

This came for scrutiny of the bench following the allegations made by the Goa Foundation

before the bench on August 8.

Goa Foundation said that the Sharma Committee measured patches of natural forest and left out

portions of the land which were not obviously wooded for identifying the forest.

The D’Souza Committee decided forest area on the basis of the area of the surveyed plot,

including non-forest areas within the assessment, the NGO said, and added “this naturally

reduced the overall density and took the areas out of one of the principal criteria at least”.

Accepting the work done by Sharma Committee, the bench observed, “It is to be noted that

Sharma Committee, constituted in accordance with the direction issued by this tribunal, chaired

by deputy conservator of forest comprised senior forest officials, IFS officer, assisted by two

assistant conservator forest, north and south division, with the chief forest surveyor of the forest

department as member secretary. Besides two local experts knowledgeable about indigenous

Goa flora, two additional collectors were included for the purpose of land record. The director

Newspaper/Online ET Realty ( online )

Date August 26, 2020

Link https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/realty-companies-in-

goa-to-face-brunt-of-ngts-private-forest-order/77735365

of settlement and land record was also a member. The team obviously had forestry expertise

and knowledge.”

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