Apartments will have to form registered committees: Dy CM

Patna: Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, who also holds the urban development and housing department portfolio, said apartment complexes in Bihar will have to form registered committees to ensure residents’ grievances are addressed. He said many apartments currently do not have such bodies and the department will ensure compliance.

Sinha made the statement while responding in the legislative council to a question by RJD MLC Saurabh Kumar, who flagged problems in an apartment complex in Maheshnagar under ward no. 7 where residents are facing hardship due to a lift remaining non-functional for a long period, with the complaint pending at the municipal corporation level. Saurabh said the Bihar Apartment Ownership Act, 2006 was not being implemented properly and alleged that complaints were not being resolved due to delays in hearings by the civic body.


Council chairperson Awadhesh Narain Singh also referred to the difficulties faced by the residents and instructed the govt to ensure apartment complexes have registered committees. Sinha said the govt would look into the matter seriously and ensure implementation.

The House also took up the issue of paddy procurement targets, with opposition MLCs Saurabh Kumar and Sunil Kumar Singh pointing to a reduction in the procurement target despite higher harvest. Sunil said the target was reduced to 36 lakh metric tonnes this year from 45 lakh metric tonnes last year. Food and consumer protection minister Pramod Kumar said the procurement deadline had been extended from Feb 28 to March 31 and that the govt was reviewing an increase in the target.

RJD MLC Abdul Bari Siddiqui raised the issue of pending complaints at the Bihar State Information Commission, saying the pendency was creating hurdles for common people. Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the govt was working to address the backlog and would recruit for vacant commissioner posts, informing the House that 27,379 cases were pending.

Through a call attention motion, 18 members raised concerns over alleged obstruction in land measurement work involving MLC Sameer Kumar Singh at Tetiya Bambar in Munger. Singh said that strongmen and land mafia were hindering the process and had threatened him. Deputy CM said those involved would not be spared regardless of influence, and that the divisional commissioner and district magistrate had been asked to look into the matter. He said the case would be investigated at the additional secretary level and that the superintendent of police and senior police officials would be directed to investigate, with strict action promised against those found involved.