The Government of Karnataka has appointed retired IAS officer Rakesh Singh as the new Chairman of the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA). The position became vacant earlier this year following the completion of the term by the previous chairman, H C Kishore Chandra. In the interim, the state government had temporarily appointed Naveen Raj Singh, Principal Secretary of the Housing Department, as the acting chairman.
However, earlier this month, the Karnataka High Court issued an interim order restraining Naveen Raj Singh from continuing in that role. The order stated that no state government officer could be nominated to fill the vacancy. The court ruled that the senior-most member of K-RERA would serve as the in-charge chairperson until a new appointment was made.
Singh brings nearly 35 years of experience working with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and the Urban Development Department. He retired as the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of both the Urban Development Department and the Water Resources Department and served as the Administrator of the BBMP.
The Karnataka Home Buyers Forum recently addressed a letter to the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, on June 13, 2024. In the letter, the 400-member body highlighted several issues, including delays in resolving complaints by the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA), minimal compensation recovery for homebuyers, and discrepancies in sale deeds.
Last month, the homebuyers’ group also approached Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, urging him to address the challenges related to RERA implementation in Karnataka.
