Shimla, Jan 1 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a firm view of the State Government’s decision to shift the office of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) from Shimla to Dharamshala and has maintained the final stay on the relocation order.
During the hearing, the Court was informed that nearly 80 per cent of the real estate projects registered under RERA in Himachal Pradesh are concentrated in the districts of Solan, Shimla, and Sirmaur.
In contrast, Kangra district accounts for only about 20 registered projects. The Bench noted that this geographic distribution of projects is a crucial factor while assessing the administrative logic behind shifting the regulatory authority’s headquarters.
The State Government, in its reply, disclosed that out of 43 sanctioned posts in RERA, only 36 employees are presently working. Of these, as many as 19 employees are engaged on an outsourced basis. Taking note of the limited manpower, the Court observed that shifting an institution with such a small staff strength would not yield any substantial administrative benefit.
The Bench further pointed out that if the RERA office were moved to Dharamshala, developers would be compelled to approach the office there initially and then travel back to Shimla for obtaining other related permissions. This, the Court said, would make the process cumbersome and inconvenient for stakeholders.
Defending the decision, the Advocate General argued that the move was aimed at decongesting Shimla and promoting the development of Kangra district.
However, the Court was not convinced and held that, in the present circumstances, the relocation did not appear to serve any meaningful public or administrative purpose.
