Track2Realty-Agencies: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has ordered an Income Tax department investigation against a number of real estate developers who were recently shown by an investigative portal to be willing to accept alleged black money in property transactions.
Track2Realty Exclusive: It is strange paradox of economics that property prices keep on moving up despite the sluggish market economy and demand. Various research agencies in recent years have reported about the amount of unsold stock lying with the developers and how it has increased over the last quarter or year. This gives hope to the end users that prices might come down to reasonable level.
Track2Realty Exclusive: How realistic is the reported appreciation of property in a market where the buyers are unable to exit at even half the reported appreciation figure? Track2Realty Focus tries to decode the mystery of property appreciation to unveil the worst kept secret of the business.
The draft Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2011, aims at bringing reforms in the unorganised Indian real estate sector.
Blaming use of black money in real estate to archaic laws, India’s largest realty firm DLF has said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s emphasis on reduction of stamp duty will help in cleansing the sector.
Money generated through illegal means is laundered through various means including real estate and election campaigns in India, a report of the US State Department has said.
Being blamed for being a haven for black money cartel, realty players broke their silence and instead tried to put the blame on the government for not introducing the desired reforms in the sector. However, they did not spell out if reforms are prerequisite to check the cartel of black money in the sector, why are they opposing the realty bill and a regulator.
A White Paper on black money tabled in Parliament on Monday, May 21, has named real estate among others as most vulnerable to menace of black money. Given that land is part of the top black money generators, the white paper suggested that states could consider taxing farm income to curb black money.
Economic intelligence agencies have informed the Finance Ministry that a major chunk of illegal funds and black money is being generated and routed in the real estate sector of the country.
Goa real estate boom is not driven by “people who love the land”, but by speculative investment of black money in the state.