Realtors in Ahmedabad disunited over GIHED, Credai and Naredco

Industry sources said the formation of the new body reveals a lack of confidence in GIHED-CREDAI which has not been aggressive enough to raise issues dogging the sector.

File photo
File photo

AHMEDABAD: The Covid-19 pandemic has played havoc with industries across the world with certain sectors facing the brunt of it. And the real estate sector is no exception.

During the extended lockdown, real estate association National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) formed its Gujarat chapter, exposing the disenchantment of realtors with older representative body like Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers (GIHED) and Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI).

About 300 developers from Gujarat have already registered with NAREDCO. Of these, about 70 per cent are from Ahmedabad.

Industry sources said formation of the new body reveals lack of confidence in GIHED-CREDAI which have not been aggressive enough to raise issues dogging the sector.

The distrust has only exacerbated post the lockdown which has thrown the capital-intensive realty sector into disarray.

NK Patel of Sun Builders has been appointed the chairman of Gujarat chapter of NAREDCO whereas Suresh Patel of Surya Group has been appointed its president.

Areputed builder said a WhatsApp group of about 300 members has been formed to discuss issues faced by the sector.

Several new members Mirrortalked to said, “GIHED-CREDAI have lost the purpose for which it was created — to aggressively represent and fight for interests of the sector. The lockdown has brought several developers to the edge of going down under. There was a need for a strong representative body which can fight for the rights of builders and buyers.”

Another realtor said, “The existing bodies got limited to holding cultural activities.”

A developer pleading anonymity said, “The core group in GIHED- CREDAI humiliated anyone pointing a finger or raising pertinent issues. In fact, such people were targeted. Many intellectuals and technocrats stopped participating in association matters due to these reasons.”

Talking to Mirror, N K Patel said, “We feel that GIHED-CREDAI has missed to live up to their purpose over the last three years. They failed in taking up industry issues aggressively.”