Panel of ministers orders arrest

A group of ministers, set up by the UP government to sort out the mess in Noida's real estate sector, directed Gautam Budh Nagar SSP Love Kumar on Monday to arrest eight builders for not delivering 5,000 flats to homebuyers. However, Noida officials refused to name these builders. In September, police had lodged 13 FIRs against six builders with projects in Noida and Greater Noida. FIRs were registered against Amrapali, Supertech, Alpine Realtech, Proview group, Today Homes, and JNC Constructions following meetings held by the same three-member cabinet committee in August. The builders were booked under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. Urban housing minister Suresh Khanna, one of the three ministers in the group, further directed the SSP to initiate action against all builders who have failed to hand over possession to homebuyers and have FIRs against them. The committee emphasised that builders have to be pushed to deliver 50,000 flats by the end of December, a goal UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had set in August.