Date:28/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/28/stories/2006042815890400.htm

New Delhi

Registrar of Societies accused of issuing "misleading statements"

Staff Reporter

Delhi Residents' Front sends letter to the President and the L-G

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Residents' Front has in letters sent to the President of India and the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor accused the office of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies with issuing "misleading statements'' claiming that the Delhi Apartment Ownership Act, 1986, had been repealed when that was not the case.

Pointing out that as provisions of the DAO Act were applicable to and binding upon all multi-storey buildings in Delhi whether promoted by a cooperative group housing society or a person or authority,

Front president Sanjiv Kumar said that the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Satya Gopal, was issuing "misleading statements in undue haste."

"He has been saying that the DAO Act was repealed and has now lapsed. But actually the DAO Act, 1986 -- which is a Parliamentary legislation and wherein the Lieutenant-Governor is the appropriate authority and Vice-Chairman, DDA is notified as competent authority -- is very much in force from December 1, 1987. The Amendment Bill, 2001, was only a Bill and was not even tabled in Parliament and it (the Bill) has since lapsed,'' he clarified.

Charging that "office of the Registrar is the not the competent authority to decide upon the veracity of the DAO Act, 1986, which is a Parliamentary legislation", Mr Kumar said the "statements issued by RCS are unnecessary and uncalled for interference in the functioning of the statutory bodies, without any authority of law vested in his office and would also amount to contempt of Parliament''.

Mr. Kumar said as provisions of the DAO Act, 1986, are applicable to apartments promoted by CGHS, after formation of the statutory association of the apartment owners, the promoter group housing society does not have any right whatsoever to maintain and administer the housing complex.

The position of law being so, the Front president said the Registrar of Cooperative Societies now fears losing relevance.