Gurgaon: Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRera) has directed Ramprastha Promoter and Development Pvt Ltd to pay Rs 50 lakh in compensation with 11% annual interest to a homebuyer for a prolonged delay in the delivery of a residential unit in the developer’s Edge Tower project in Sector 37D.The complainant, Vinod Kumar Gupta, booked the unit in 2010 for Rs 49.8 lakh, with possession due by Aug 31, 2012, but the project remained incomplete even after several years.Gupta earlier approached HRera seeking a refund. In Oct 2022, the authority directed the developer to refund the deposited amount along with interest. Subsequently, Gupta filed a separate complaint before the adjudicating officer seeking compensation for financial losses, delay, mental harassment and litigation expenses.The developer did not contest the proceedings despite being served notice. The adjudicating officer, Rajender Kumar, on July 3 proceeded ex parte after the developer failed to appear and struck off its defence.HRera observed that the project remained incomplete for over six years beyond the promised possession date and that no occupation or completion certificate was obtained. Referring to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Ireo Grace Realtech Pvt Ltd vs Abhishek Khanna & Ors, the authority reiterated that an allottee cannot be expected to wait indefinitely for possession after making substantial payments.The adjudicating officer also took note of the complainant’s submission that he availed loans, including a gold loan, to meet payment obligations to the developer. The order observed that if the buyer invested the same amount in another comparable project, the investment would likely have appreciated substantially over the years.Taking these factors into account, HRera also directed the developer to pay Rs 1 lakh for mental harassment, Rs 50,000 as litigation costs, and the awarded compensation with 11% annual interest from the date of the order until payment.The developer could not be reached for a comment on the matter.
