Delhi Housing Societies Rocked by Widespread FAR Construction Crime

Delhi Housing Societies Rocked by Widespread FAR Construction Crime

RMN News Report Highlights:

• Widespread FAR (Floor Area Ratio) construction crime and corruption are rampant in Delhi’s housing societies, primarily driven by management committees often run by “criminals” seeking “easy money”.
• The Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) office is identified as the major enabler of illegal FAR construction due to its control over Annual General Meeting (AGM) approvals, with its IAS officers alleged to be “highly corrupt”.
• Activist Rakesh Raman, through his ‘Clean House’ service, reports on these irregularities and provides detailed guidance to citizens on how to oppose illegal FAR construction, emphasizing that even one opposing member can prevent approval.
• Citizens are advised to establish society websites, write detailed complaints (preferably in English), and understand that legal recourse through courts is often difficult, as courts may classify FAR construction as “government policy”.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | August 19, 2025

New Delhi – Delhi’s housing societies are grappling with an extensive network of crime and corruption related to illegal Floor Area Ratio (FAR) construction, with a social activist and journalist, Rakesh Raman, alleging that the Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) office and its corrupt officials are primarily responsible.

Rakesh Raman, who runs an editorial and advisory service called ‘Clean House’ to report on irregularities in Delhi’s housing societies, has consistently highlighted FAR construction as a major crime. He asserts that housing society management committees (MCs) are often run by “criminals” – individuals seeking “easy money” through corruption, such as failed businessmen or retired persons looking to supplement their income. These MCs, including presidents and secretaries, can facilitate hundreds of crores in corruption.

Flawed Elections and Corrupt Officials: The election processes for these MCs are described as “totally flawed,” with the RCS office and the Delhi Government being held accountable. Raman claims that the same group of “criminals” continually runs these societies, often rotating positions among themselves, despite numerous complaints to the RCS office about unchanging MCs. He further alleges that IAS officers within the RCS office are “highly corrupt” and appointed specifically for their corrupt nature, with the entire staff being akin to “pickpockets or thieves”.

RCS Office: The Primary Enabler of Illegal FAR: While the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is also implicated as a “dishonest organization” run by “thieves and dacoits,” Raman emphasizes that the major responsibility for FAR construction lies with the RCS office. This is because the RCS office is tasked with controlling the approval of FAR construction during Annual General Meetings (AGMs).

Raman states that FAR construction cannot be approved in an AGM if even a single member opposes it, citing Article 21 of the Constitution, as it involves “huge financials” and “violates the constitutional rights of the citizens”. He stresses that the concept of majority approval does not apply in such cases. He notes that even if the majority of members are in favor, it still cannot be allowed if one person opposes it.

[ Video: दिल्ली हाउसिंग सोसाइटियों में FAR निर्माण अपराध कैसे रोकें ]

Activist’s Personal Battle and Legal Action: Rakesh Raman has personally demonstrated success in halting illegal FAR construction. He recounts single-handedly stopping construction in his own society (DPS CGHS) by filing extensive petitions to the Lokpal and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), citing Article 21 of the Constitution. However, the construction later resumed after a year due to alleged bribery involving a judge and DDA building directors, despite the court lacking jurisdiction.

In response, Raman filed a lengthy petition directly with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, detailing human rights violations and corruption. The Supreme Court swiftly ordered the Delhi High Court to initiate an inquiry into the judge’s corruption. While judges in India are not typically “punished” or removed due to the country’s “highly corrupt” system, Raman indicated that the judge involved in his case was transferred, and a full investigation was conducted. He continues to pursue action against this judge, with a recent letter from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) requesting the Department of Justice to further inquire into the judge who allowed the FAR construction to resume.

Ongoing Investigations and Systemic Corruption: Raman also reveals that investigations are currently underway against 10 named IAS officers from the DDA, RCS office, and Environment departments, who are implicated in housing society corruption and FAR construction. These investigations are being conducted by the Cabinet Secretariat, the highest office under the Prime Minister’s Office, following a referral from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Details, including the names of these officers, are publicly available on his website, rmnnews.com.

Guidance for Citizens: Raman’s ‘Clean House‘ service receives numerous inquiries from people seeking to stop ongoing or planned FAR construction. He advises individuals that legal professionals are unlikely to provide effective help, and courts often “encourage” such crimes by classifying them as “government policy,” making relief “very difficult”.

He provides detailed guidance through his website, which includes formats, videos (mostly in Hindi), and case studies. Key recommendations for citizens include:

• Establish a society website: This is the first step, and all complaints should be uploaded there. The RCS office itself has issued multiple notifications mandating websites for societies, which are often ignored or improperly updated by societies that allegedly “bribe” the RCS office monthly.
• Write detailed complaints: People must learn to write extensive complaints and petitions themselves, as he offers advisory services and cannot write complaints from A to Z for everyone.
• Write in English: While Hindi is not prohibited, complaints written in English tend to be taken more “seriously” by offices.
• Regularly complain to RCS office: If thousands of complaints are filed, the RCS office will be forced to take action.
• Check email spam boxes: He advises checking spam folders for communication, especially with free email services like Yahoo and Gmail, which may filter genuine mails.

Raman emphasizes that his service is free of charge and that he has dedicated hundreds of pages of documentation on FAR construction on his websites to guide citizens in building their own cases. He works 15-16 hours daily and is unable to take phone calls, urging people to follow the structured approach outlined on his website.