If a township plot is handed over late, or the promised roads, drainage, water, electricity and other works are unfinished, treat these as two related but separate problems. Check the contractual possession date and the validity of any possession offer, then document every missing development work against the agreement and registered project record. Write to the promoter, preserve evidence and use the RERA process for the state where the project is located.
This guide is for plotted township projects in India. Forms, fees, interest rules, certificates and filing procedures vary by state, and the outcome depends on your agreement, the project’s registration record and the facts of the delay.
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Start by separating possession from infrastructure
A promoter may argue that possession has been offered even though township works remain incomplete. Conversely, a project may have incomplete infrastructure but no valid possession offer at all. Establish which problem you have before choosing a remedy.
Check whether possession was due
Find the possession date in your executed agreement for sale, not merely in a brochure or sales conversation. Also check the project’s registered completion date and any extension recorded by the competent authority. Compare the promoter’s offer letter with those dates and with the conditions in your agreement.
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List each unfinished work
Make a separate list for internal roads, access roads, storm-water drainage, sewerage, water supply, electricity, street lighting, landscaping, community facilities and any other item promised for your plot or the township. For each item, identify where the promise appears: the signed agreement, sanctioned layout or plans, project-registration disclosures, an allotment document, an advertisement or later correspondence. A marketing statement may not have the same legal status as a contractual or approved project obligation.
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) expressly covers development of land into plots and includes development works and improvements. Section 13 requires the agreement for sale to state development particulars, internal and external development works, the possession date and the interest consequences of default. Those records are therefore central to both a negotiation and a complaint.
Build an evidence file before you escalate
Organise a dated file that allows someone unfamiliar with the project to see what was promised, what was paid and what remains undone.
Documents to collect
- Executed agreement for sale, allotment letter and application form.
- Receipts, bank statements, demand letters and a current account statement.
- Sanctioned layout, development plans and the project’s RERA registration disclosures.
- Brochures, advertisements, specifications and written assurances that influenced the purchase.
- Promoter emails, messages, letters, call summaries and any proposed settlement or waiver.
- Possession offer, inspection report, photographs and copies of permissions or certificates supplied by the promoter.
Record the physical condition
Take dated photographs and videos from identifiable locations. Show the plot number, approach road, drainage outlets, water connection points, electrical infrastructure and any unsafe or inaccessible area. Keep the original files and note who took them, when and where. A concise schedule is useful:
| Promised item | Where promised | Contractual or recorded due date | Observed status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access road | Agreement, sanctioned layout or registration disclosure | Use the date stated in the applicable record | For example, incomplete or not usable | Dated photographs, correspondence and site notes |
| Water, sewerage or drainage | Agreement or approved development schedule | Use the applicable project date | State precisely what is missing | Inspection record, photographs and written requests |
| Electricity and lighting | Agreement, layout or project disclosure | Use the applicable project date | Connection, distribution or lighting incomplete | Site evidence and promoter response |
Allottees are entitled to know the stage-wise completion schedule, including agreed provisions for water, sanitation, electricity, amenities and services. Ask for that schedule and preserve the project-portal entry or document from which you obtained it.
Send a precise written demand to the promoter
A written notice creates a clear record and may resolve a straightforward delay without immediately filing. Address it to the promoter’s legal entity named in the agreement and use a delivery method that produces proof.
- Identify the project, plot number, agreement date, registration number and your payment status.
- Quote the possession date and each development commitment, with the page or clause where it appears.
- Describe the present condition factually, attaching the evidence schedule and dated images.
- Ask whether a valid possession offer has been made and request copies of the relevant completion or occupation documentation and permissions.
- Request a work-by-work completion programme, the present stage of each approval and the explanation for any claimed extension or force majeure event.
- State the remedy you seek: completion by a defined date, a lawful possession process, interest for delay, withdrawal and refund, or another relief available under the agreement and applicable law.
- Set a reasonable written-response date and keep the delivery confirmation.
Do not stop contractual instalments automatically, sign a waiver, or sign an unconditional possession acknowledgement merely because the promoter is pressing for completion. Those actions can affect contractual rights. Obtain individual legal advice before making a decision that could alter your claim.
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Assess whether the possession offer is valid
Read the offer against the agreement and local requirements rather than treating a letter or site visit as conclusive proof of completion. Ask four questions:
- Has the promoter obtained the completion, occupation or other certificate required for this project and locality?
- Is the plot legally and physically accessible, identifiable and usable for the purpose promised?
- Are the services and development works that the offer represents as complete actually available?
- Are demanded charges authorised by the agreement and supported by a proper account?
A Haryana plotted-project decision illustrates this fact-specific approach: the authority treated a valid offer as requiring an occupation or completion certificate, a habitable plot and no unreasonable additional demand, and found the particular offer invalid because the necessary certificate was absent. That is an example from one project and jurisdiction, not a universal checklist for every Indian township.
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A Telangana RERA order likewise stated that physical delivery alone did not establish full compliance where promised development works were unfinished. The registered completion date and the promoter’s development obligations were material. The decision does not mean that every handover without every amenity is automatically invalid; the agreement, approved plans, state rules and evidence control the result.
Choose between staying and withdrawing
RERA section 18 generally creates different routes depending on whether the allottee wants to remain in the project.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Decision | What it normally seeks | Questions to answer first | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remain in the project | Prescribed interest for each month of delay until possession, together with completion of contractual and statutory obligations where available | Do you still want the plot? What are the contractual and registered completion dates? Which works remain? | Rate, calculation period and additional relief depend on applicable state rules, the agreement and the facts. |
| Withdraw | Return of the amount paid with prescribed interest and compensation where the statutory conditions are met | Can you prove the promoter’s default? Is the project registered? Are title, payment and limitation issues clear? | Availability and amount are not automatic; forum and calculation must be checked for the state and case. |
Section 18(3) may also apply when a promoter fails to meet other statutory or agreement obligations. Do not quote an interest percentage from another state or an unrelated order as if it were nationally fixed. A lawyer can calculate the claim after reviewing the agreement, payment ledger, project status and state rules.
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Use the correct RERA forum and procedure
Section 31 permits an aggrieved person to complain to the RERA Authority or the adjudicating officer, as applicable. Before filing, open the current portal for the state where the project is registered and verify:
- Whether the project is registered and under which promoter name and number.
- Which claims belong before the Authority and which belong before the adjudicating officer.
- The current form, filing method, fee, document-size limits and service requirements.
- Whether online filing, physical copies, affidavits or a prescribed notice are required.
- Any directions about representation, hearings, defects and resubmission.
State procedures are not interchangeable. Bihar’s portal, for example, describes Form M for Authority relief such as possession or compliance and Form N for compensation or interest claims, with Bihar-specific instructions and fees. Rajasthan publishes its own procedure and frequently asked questions. These examples demonstrate why a national article cannot responsibly provide one form or fee for every buyer.
Prepare the complaint bundle
- Complete the state’s current form and identify the promoter’s legal name and project registration number exactly as recorded.
- Attach the agreement, allotment papers, payment proof and a chronology of key dates.
- Attach the promised-work schedule, sanctioned layout and relevant registration disclosures.
- Add the possession offer, your written notice, delivery proof and the promoter’s response or silence.
- Include dated photographs, inspection notes and a short statement explaining how each item remains incomplete.
- State the relief sought in the language of the applicable law: possession and compliance, delay interest, refund, compensation or another order that the chosen forum can grant.
- Keep the filing receipt, case number and every subsequent submission in one indexed file.
Common mistakes that weaken a delayed-plot claim
- Relying only on the brochure: connect each promise to the agreement, sanctioned plan or registration record where possible.
- Confusing inspection with possession: a site visit does not answer whether the contractual and regulatory conditions for possession were met.
- Accepting keys without reservations: if you inspect or accept anything, record unfinished works and your rights in writing first.
- Using a national deadline or rate: state rules, agreements and project records differ; verify current requirements on the relevant portal.
- Sending only verbal complaints: follow every call with a dated email or letter and retain proof.
- Ignoring project registration details: a wrong promoter name or number can delay filing and service.
- Signing a settlement without review: check refund timing, interest, releases, tax treatment, possession conditions and consequences of default.
When professional advice is particularly important
Obtain advice from a lawyer familiar with the project’s state real-estate law if ownership or title is disputed, the project’s registration has lapsed or been extended, a limitation or forum issue is raised, the promoter offers a settlement or waiver, substantial money is at stake, or you are deciding whether to accept possession while works remain incomplete. Bring the indexed evidence file so the advice addresses the actual record rather than a general assumption.
Quick Recap
A practical decision sequence
- Confirm the state, project registration number, promoter and contractual possession date.
- Separate the possession question from the infrastructure schedule.
- Collect the agreement, approved records, payment proof and dated site evidence.
- Send a written demand requesting documents, a work programme and the remedy you prefer.
- Decide whether your objective is completion and delay interest or withdrawal and refund, after checking the legal and financial consequences.
- Verify the state RERA forum, form, fee and filing requirements.
- File a document-backed complaint if the response is inadequate, and obtain case-specific advice where the decision could waive or limit rights.
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