Patna: The state government has decided that flats and plots that are part of ongoing projects and which have not been registered with the real estate regulatory authority (Rera), Bihar, cannot be sold.

Registration of such properties will not be allowed, the state cabinet meeting held on Friday decided to ensure adherence to the provisions of Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.

The Act says that any project with an area of more than 500 square metres or an apartment having more than eight flats needs to be registered with Rera.

Many unscrupulous players were selling properties without getting the projects registered with Rera Bihar, even though the authority had initiated punitive steps against many such players.

"The amendment in the Bihar registration rules has been made in the light of a request sent by Rera for prohibiting registration of such properties," cabinet secretariat department principal secretary Arun Kumar Singh said.

Rera Bihar chairman Afzal Amanullah thanked the government for promptly acceding to the authority's request.

"The amendment would go a long way in protecting the interest of the consumers because builders will not be able to dupe them by surreptitiously selling half-made flats and get the property registered in the name of consumers," he said. "Also, this would force builders to register their ongoing projects registered with Rera, which would protect the interest of consumers in case of any problem."

Amanullah said Rera would launch an awareness campaign to make consumers aware of the changes made in registration rules. Rera, he added, was also open to address the doubts of builders regarding the rules.

Friday's cabinet meet took 32 decisions. The recently launched welfare scheme for girls has been brought under the ambit of the Right to Public Service Act and the officials would have to deliver the aid to the deserving girls within 21 days.

The scheme talks of giving girls Rs 2,000 at the time of birth and one year later when their Aadhaar enrolment would be done the parents would get another Rs 1,000. Rs 2000 would be given to the family when the girl child turns 2. Girl students will also get stipend up to Class XII. After that, the girl would get Rs 10,000 (provided she doesn't get married) and after graduating the girl would get Rs 25,000 irrespective of marital status.

The cabinet also decided to extend the last date for Aadhaar number seeding with bank accounts of beneficiaries of different welfare schemes till the disposal of case related to Aadhaar by the Supreme Court and formal notification by the central government after it.