Gurugram, Aug. 2 -- The Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (FAOA), Gurugram, on Saturday sought governance reforms, including greater transparency, stronger resident rights and an end to builder disputes. It demanded a dedicated district registrar for apartment associations, amendments to the Haryana Registration and Regulation of Societies (HRRS) Act, and stronger enforcement of the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act (HAOA), 1983. The demands were raised during a session at Brisk Lumbini Terrace Homes, Sector 109, Dwarka Expressway, attended by over 40 apartment associations, RWAs, legal experts and apartment owners from across Haryana. Proposed amendments to the HRRS Act include automatic membership for eligible apartment owners, the "One Society, One RWA" principle, financial transparency, mandatory disclosures, greater accountability and e-voting. "We request the registrar general and the additional chief secretary, Haryana, to issue clear guidelines to all district registrars to compile data on pending membership disputes, examine the reasons behind them and ensure their timely resolution," FAOA representative Ritu Bhariok said. Members added that a representation outlining these demands has been prepared and will be submitted to the concerned officials. Participants said the parallel operation of the HAOA, 1983, and the HRRS Act, 2012, has led to overlapping jurisdictions, delayed handovers and disputes over governance. Legal expert Sanjay Lal compared Haryana's laws with Maharashtra's, saying the latter is more owner-centric. "Today, builders in Haryana behave like local zamindaars because the land continues to remain under their ownership even after apartments are sold. Haryana has no directly comparable deemed conveyance mechanism if builders fail to transfer the land to apartment associations, which has contributed to long-running disputes over control of common areas and project assets," Lal said. The Federation also flagged delays in Deeds of Declaration, builder non-compliance, poor civic infrastructure and weak HAOA enforcement. It urged the finance ministry to raise the 18% GST threshold on maintenance charges from Rs.7,500 to Rs.15,000 or reduce the rate....