Only five RERA-registered JDA projects involve non-agriculturist partners: HPRERA

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 16 (ANI): The Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HPRERA) has clarified that only five out of 17 real estate projects registered under Joint Development Agreements (JDAs) since 2020 involve non-agriculturist partners, amid an ongoing controversy over alleged violations of Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act in housing projects across the state.
The clarification was issued by HPRERA Chairperson RD Dhiman in response to queries raised by the Housing Department regarding housing projects executed under Joint Development Agreements (JDAs).
"A total of 17 projects since 2020 to date have been registered with JDAs. In case of 12 projects, JDA partners are agriculturists. However, projects registered where the JDA partners are non-agriculturists are only five," Dhiman said.
He maintained that all registrations were carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of the law and applicable RERA regulations.
The issue has gained significance following allegations of irregularities linked to the controversial Chester Hills housing project in Solan district, where questions have been raised regarding compliance with Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, which restricts non-agriculturists from purchasing or developing agricultural land without prior government permission.
Dhiman clarified that all five projects involving non-agriculturist JDA partners had been registered before October 17, 2023, when the Principal Secretary (Revenue) issued a clarification stating that even JDA partners were required to be agriculturists under the provisions of Section 118.
"All five projects where JDA partners are non-agriculturists pertain to the period prior to October 17, 2023," Dhiman stated.
Referring specifically to the Chester Hills-2 and Chester Hills-4 projects, the HP RERA chairman said the state government had already examined the issue.
"In respect of Chester Hills-2 and Chester Hills-4, the Chief Secretary (Town and Country Planning), through an order issued in November 2025, held that no violation of Section 118 had taken place since the Joint Development Agreement was a non-est document," he said.
The controversy has intensified after a letter dated May 7, 2026, issued by Additional Secretary (Housing) Suneel Verma on behalf of Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta directed the Vigilance Bureau to obtain all records and documents relating to HPRERA-registered JDA projects in the state.
The Vigilance Bureau has specifically been asked to collect details regarding projects where JDA partners are non-agriculturists and cases where JDAs were later cancelled with HPRERA approval. Officials have been asked to furnish the report within 15 days.
The Chester Hills project in the Solan district has emerged as a major political and administrative controversy, with allegations involving benami transactions, illegal land dealings and suspected violations linked to nearly 275 bighas of land.
Earlier, Jagat Singh Negi, the state's Horticulture Minister, had stated that preliminary findings suggested possible violations involving nearly 150 bighas of land valued at around Rs 300 crore, though he maintained that conclusions would depend on the outcome of the official inquiry.
The matter is currently under examination by the Deputy Commissioner, Solan, while opposition parties, including the BJP and CPI(M), have raised the issue prominently in the political arena.
The controversy has also brought senior bureaucrats into confrontation, with former Chief Secretaries Srikant Baldi and RD Dhiman, who headed HPRERA earlier, facing allegations and counter-allegations alongside the current Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta over the handling of the Chester Hills matter.
In an earlier communication dated April 9, 2026, Chief Secretary Gupta had sought a detailed report from the HP RERA chairman within 15 days regarding alleged inaction against the Chester Hills promoters and concerns raised on social media over possible irregularities affecting homebuyers.
Following the absence of a response, the state government subsequently directed the Vigilance Bureau to independently verify the alleged violations linked to JDA projects across Himachal Pradesh. (ANI)