new delhi, Jan. 23 -- For a regulator tasked with overseeing one of India's most critical infrastructure sectors, operating from an office it does not legally own is an unusual predicament. Nearly two years after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) moved into its new headquarters at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi's Nauroji Nagar, the premises are yet to be registered in its name, with the process stuck over a missing no-objection certificate from the ministry of housing and urban affairs, three officials aware of the matter said. The delay stems from TRAI's dispute with state-owned NBCC (India) Ltd, under the ministry, which built the 1.16-lakh-square-feet office at a cost of about Rs.450 crore. The developer has demanded a Rs.57 lakh interest for alleged delayed payment by TRAI, leading to an impasse that has held back the mandatory clearance required for formal registration. "When the office premises were handed over to TRAI in May 2024, the office was in an incomplete state. In addition, a few upper floors in the Tower F building were still under construction, which led to water seepage into various areas of the TRAI premises, damaging the interior and furniture," said the first official cited above, adding that this led to the regulator holding back a portion of the payment-Rs.30 lakh-against the damage and incomplete work. The amount was released in December 2024 on completion of the work. However, NBCC levied an interest of Rs.56.8 lakh that the regulator has not yet paid. "These are non-legitimate charges. TRAI had sent several communications to NBCC, requesting waiver of the interest charges under the circumstances. But no formal response has been received till date," said a second official, adding that the housing ministry has also been approached. Registration of the building is critical for TRAI, as it cannot otherwise legally establish ownership or access the project's remaining funds that are required for the payment of stamp duty and other statutory charges. And the communications ministry, on its part, has been pressing TRAI to return the unspent funds, making formal registration of the building essential, a third official said. Responding to Mint's emailed queries, an NBCC spokesperson said: "The sale of commercial space at WTC, Nauroji Nagar was conducted through open e-auction. The application form clearly stipulated that, in the event of any delay in payment, interest at the rate of SBI Highest MCLR + 2% would be charged on the amount due, calculated from the due date of payment until the date the payment was actually made." The developer said Trai had delayed payment of an installment and therefore, an interest had been levied. "The NOC can be issued after receipt of complete payment," NBCC added. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a government official said that the housing ministry was looking into the matter. One of the concerns is that if the interest is waived for a single entity, others could also start demanding a similar treatment that will be difficult to accommodate, the official added. Queries emailed to TRAI and the housing ministry on Monday evening did not elicit any response until press time....