Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12
In a relief to the builders and house owners, the state government has suspended the collection of enhanced external development charges (EDC).

Acting on the judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Director-General of the Department of Town and Country Planning, in a recent order, said: “In view of the high court orders, the department is not insisting for payment of the enhanced EDC from the licencees for the time being.”

The order, however, warned the licencees that “in case of any violation of the said order, the entire onus shall lie on the colonisers.” “However, the licencee shall be bound to deposit any amount collected against enhanced EDC either directly or indirectly from its allottees with the department,” the order said.

Earlier, the high court had stayed the operation of the order issued by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) on July 14, 2011, hiking the EDC with effect from 2008.

Several builders had moved the court alleging that the state government’s decision to charge EDC was unconstitutional, arbitrary and illegal.

Builders from Faridabad and Kurukshetra had alleged that the state had done no development at all in the districts and was yet charging the EDC.

Against the backdrop of unprecedented urban development, particularly in the districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR) bordering Delhi, HUDA had revised EDC charges to be collected from the licencees of the housing and commercial projects.

While the EDC for yet-to-be-started housing and commercial projects is paid by the builders, the investors and end users pay the EDC to the builders in case of the projects which are under progress. The licencees collect the EDC from the investors and end users and deposit it with the state government.

HIGHLIGHTS

-State government temporarily suspends collection of enhanced EDC from builders.
-The decision is an offshoot of an order of the high court.
-The HC had stayed the collection of EDC from retrospective effect.
-The decision will give relief to the builders, investors.

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