17 Feb 2026

The National Real Estate Development Council (Naredco) has urged the government to promote affordable housing and incentivise rental accommodation to accelerate progress towards Housing for All and strengthen real estate growth. Addressing a real estate conference, Naredco President Parveen Jain called for further strengthening and uniform implementation of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) across states. He also stressed easier access to finance for developers and homebuyers, along with single-window clearances and faster project approvals. Naredco Chairman Niranjan Hiranandani highlighted the declining share of affordable housing in overall sales and underscored the need for policy incentives, including tax rationalisation, to promote both affordable and rental housing segments.Read more

17 Feb 2026

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a former director of Lodha Developers into custody over allegations of money laundering and fraudulent transactions that caused a loss exceeding INR 85 crore to the company. The case originated from a police complaint and involves unauthorised land deals, diversion of funds through shell entities, and forged documents. The executive had already been in judicial custody from a previous crime branch case. Investigations are ongoing, with the ED planning to seek remand to uncover further details of fund diversion and potential accomplices.Read more

17 Feb 2026

The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has stepped up its property tax recovery efforts by issuing notices to 450 defaulters with outstanding dues of more than INR 1 lakh each, as part of a drive to bridge a significant shortfall in revenue collection for the current financial year. With property tax receipts lagging against the target set by the civic body, officials said the administration is intensifying follow-ups after a period during which staff were deployed on election-related duties. The accumulated gap has prompted divisional teams to focus on both current liabilities and long-pending arrears built up over several years. Sustainable revenue mobilisation has become particularly urgent as NMC prepares to fund its share of infrastructure costs for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela, with enhanced recovery actions set to continue alongside routine collection measures.Read more

17 Feb 2026

The Odisha government has approved 23 industrial investment proposals valued at INR 4,111.80 crore, expected to generate about 9,924 jobs across the state, officials said after a meeting of the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg. The projects span a diverse range of sectors, including mechanical and electrical capital goods, apparel and textiles, aerospace and defence manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, refractories, aluminium downstream industries, mineral beneficiation and logistics and warehousing, among others, reflecting the state's diversified industrial strategy. The proposals will be implemented across 11 districts, supporting regionally balanced development. Approved investments include metal beneficiation plants, manufacturing units for railway components and advanced technologies, as well as hospitality projects. Authorities said the clearances will strengthen Odisha's industrial ecosystem and create expanded employment opportunities.Read more

16 Feb 2026

The Union government has approved 100 electric buses for Belagavi city under the PM-e Bus Sewa scheme, Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi said during the recent budget session of Parliament. The sanction is part of a wider allocation that includes 750 electric buses for ten cities in neighbouring Karnataka. Along with the buses, the Centre has also approved infrastructure support, including a control room, charging points, depot facilities and related technical systems, with around INR 6.8 crore earmarked for these civil works. The move is intended to modernise and decarbonise Belagavi's public transport system, enhancing cleaner, sustainable urban mobility in the city. The electric bus rollout aligns with national efforts to reduce emissions and expand organised public transport networks in tier-2 urban centres.Read more

Gurugram News Desk

16 Feb 2026

A naib tehsildar in Gurugram has come under official scrutiny following allegations that he authorised property registries in violation of a ban, prompting a departmental investigation and suspension. The official, posted in Wazirabad tehsil, is accused of processing conveyance deeds linked to Ansal Buildwell despite a directive from the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) issued in 2022 that prohibited such registrations. Among the disputed transactions is an exchange deed involving land designated for public utility in Sushant Lok 3. Notices have been issued to the builder's representatives as part of the probe, with officials reviewing manual records predating the full rollout of the online registry system and assessing compliance with planning norms. Authorities have indicated that further disciplinary and legal action could follow based on the audit's findings.Read more

Ghaziabad News Desk

16 Feb 2026

Redevelopment plans for two major bus depots in Ghaziabad have been delayed as authorities grapple with policy uncertainty over the implementation of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) framework in the city, officials said. The stalled projects include the Kaushambi and Vasundhara depots, where Ghaziabad City Industrial Development Authority (GCIDA) and Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) had initially planned redevelopment with mixed-use components around transport hubs. However, a lack of clear TOD guidelines and disputes over land use norms have held up progress on master planning, approvals and tendering. Stakeholders said the delay is affecting efforts to modernise bus infrastructure and integrate urban mobility with surrounding development. Authorities have indicated that a revised policy direction or clarification from the state government will be needed to move the depot redevelopment projects forward.Read more

16 Feb 2026

The Centre and the Rajasthan government have agreed to fast-track pending approvals, strengthen monitoring frameworks and deepen industry engagement to improve placement-linked outcomes under key skilling programmes. The review meeting, chaired by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, focused on enhancing Centre-state collaboration and upgrading ITIs under the PM-SETU scheme. Plans to establish Skill India International Centres in Jaipur and Bharatpur were also discussed to boost overseas employment pathways. Rajasthan, which has one of the largest ITI networks in India, has trained over 3.14 lakh candidates under PMKVY 4.0 and crossed 1.04 lakh apprentices under NAPS, reinforcing its role in India's skilling transformation.Read more

16 Feb 2026

The Delhi government has cleared Phase V(A) of the metro project after receiving the Centre's nod, marking a significant expansion of the city's rapid transit network. The plan involves three new corridors connecting RK Ashram Marg to Indraprastha via Central Vista, Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj, and Aerocity to Indira Gandhi Domestic Terminal-1, covering 16.07 km with 13 stations. Most stations will be underground. The total estimated cost is INR 12,014.91 crore, with the state contributing INR 2,940.46 crore. The expansion aims to improve connectivity, reduce congestion, and support sustainable urban mobility.Read more

16 Feb 2026

Homebuyers association Forum For People's Collective Efforts (FPCE) has alleged that over 75 per cent of state real estate regulators are failing to publish mandatory annual reports under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. Citing non-compliance with Section 78 of the Act, the group urged the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to issue fresh directions to all state RERA authorities and push state governments to take action under Sections 82 and 83 against erring regulators. FPCE also sought amendments empowering the Centre to remove authorities or members for defying directives, arguing that credible annual data is essential to assess sectoral reforms and protect homebuyers.Read more