Mohali, March 9 -- The Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has directed Omaxe Chandigarh Extension Developers Pvt Ltd to pay interest amounting to about Rs.53.65lakh to two homebuyers for delaying possession of a flat in its "The Lake" project in New Chandigarh. The direction comes weeks after the authority had passed a similar order in another case involving the same project. The order came on a complaint filed by Reena and Sujit, residents of Mumbai, who had booked a 3BHK flat in Tower Caspean-B of the project. According to the complaint, the buyers paid more than Rs.76 lakh for the unit after signing the allotment agreement with the developer in July 2015. As per the agreement, the possession was to be delivered within 42 months, fixing the due date as January 8, 2019. The complainants alleged that the developer failed to hand over possession even years after the promised deadline. They also argued that the company charged them on the basis of the super area of 1,885 square feet instead of the carpet area of 1,263 square feet. In defence, the developer said the agreement clearly mentioned super area as the basis for calculating the price. The company also argued that construction slowed during the Covid-19 pandemic and the project moved at a "snail's pace" due to disruptions in labour and supply chains. The company also described the pandemic as an unforeseen "Act of God" that affected construction activity. However, RERA observed that the possession date mentioned in the agreement was January 8, 2019, which was well before the Covid-19 outbreak, and the developer could not rely on the pandemic to justify the delay in handing over possession. Allowing the complaint partly, RERA directed the developer to pay interest at 10.8% per annum on Rs.68.74 lakh paid by the buyers from January 8, 2019, until the date of handing over valid possession. It also ordered payments of interest at the same rate on Rs.7.30 lakh paid after the possession date, calculated from the date of payment until delivery of possession. The authority directed the developer to comply with the order within 90 days and stated that failure to do so may attract further proceedings under Section 63 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act. The complainants' counsel, M Shahnawaz Khan, said the order strengthened the rightsof homebuyers under theRERA Act....