Government to consult all parties on real estate bill

The government on Tuesday said it is consulting all parties on the real estate bill, and would consider a demand by some Rajya Sabha members to send it to a select committee.

This came as Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal questioned why the bill was listed on Tuesday even as it was deferred last week.

"Why is the bill in the list of business, what is government's thought," Agarwal asked.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress) then said he and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav have given a notice for constituting a select committee on the bill.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, clarifying the issue, said the bill was listed as it was pending from the previous day's business.

"I could not complete the consultation process as there was four-day holiday. I called some people and they said why don't we sit and discuss this. I talked to some people today," Naidu said in Rajya Sabha.

"As a matter of abundant caution the bill has been carried forward today. We will complete the consultation process in a day or two and then come to the house," said Naidu.

"I will keep the sentiment of house in mind that it should be sent to select committee once I complete the process we will come back to the house," he said.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, aimed at establishing a regulatory authority for the real estate sector, was deferred by the Rajya Sabha earlier this week with opposition members insisting that it be sent to a select committee.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the NDA government of bringing a "pro-builder" real estate bill, saying it dilutes all good provisions of the bill brought by the Congress government.

The bill regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate projects. It establishes state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs).

As per the bill, residential real estate projects, with some exceptions, need to be registered with RERAs. Promoters cannot book or offer these projects for sale without registering them. Real estate agents dealing in these projects also need to register with RERAs.