April 24, 2024: The Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority’s (HRERA) Gurguram bench has levied a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on Countrywide Promoters for publishing a misleading advertisement, mention media reports.
The project in question is the Green Oaks project, whose advertisement was published in an English newspaper on March 2. The regulatory authority had sent a show cause notice to the developer mentioned reports.
Note that under Section 11(2) and 13(1) of the RERA Act 2016, all developers should mention all project details properly including RERA registration number as per the RERA format in any advertisement that the publish. Violation of this is a punishable offence under the Section 61 of the Act.
The Haryana RERA order read, “It is clearly established that the promoter (Countrywide Promoters Pvt Ltd) has indulged in publishing a misleading advertisement to confuse the prospective allottees in making an informed choice. Therefore, the authority hereby imposes a penalty amounting to Rs 50 lakh under Section 61 of the Act 2016,” said the order.
As per media reports, the advertisement shows in one full page a photo of a garden/park (garden of dreams) and the other page displays a picture of a club, which is not part of the project.
The HRERA order mentioned that the rest of the advertisement showed facilities like squash court, state of the art club house, covered pool and spa, outdoor library, rejuvenating sculptural rocks, coffee lounge counter etc available which clearly are not part of the project. It is all misleading.
Countrywide Promoters Private Limited are developing an affordable plotted colony, Green Oaks, at Sector 70-A, Gurugram, under the Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojna (DDJAY) Affordable Plotted Housing Policy 2016. The HRERA registration number for the project was given in 2021.
“It is abundantly clear that the promoter has issued a misleading advertisement for a DDJAY plotted colony to show alluring images to make the prospective investor believe that the project comprises club house and such facilities, which do not exist in the project. This amounts to a violation of Section 7(1)(A)(i). No details, information or visuals of the actual layout or site plan of the project have been provided to enable the prospective allottee to decide upon investing in the project,” the HRERA order added. Additionally, according to the order, promoter didn’t get the registration details amended as per the revised layout. While the project was launched in 2021 and the layout plan was revised in 2023.
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