Latest news with #RegistrationAct
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
For the record: Name change plaint reaches Lokayukta
Karnataka Lokayukta Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike land khata certificate I waited over two years; officials did nothing despite verbal assurances, forcing me to approach the Lokayukta for action –Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar A complaint has been registered withagainst the then(BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath for dereliction of duty. The Lokayukta registered the complaint against the BBMP Commissioner on complaint was filed by Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar, a resident of Sobha Arena Apartment in Judicial Layout, Thalaghattapura. He alleged that despite purchasing a flat in VS Cozy Apartment and executing the sale deed on August 29, 2009, the land records still reflect the name of the previous landowner. The sale deed granted him ownership of 345 sq ft, but even after 15 years, his name has not been entered in the land to Dhananjaya, he applied for theand khata extract from BBMP on March 16, 2023. The documents he received did not reflect his following day, on March 17, 2023, he submitted a complaint to the BBMP Commissioner, requesting a probe and corrective action. However, he claimed no action was taken despite repeated follow-ups.'I have waited for over two years, visiting the BBMP head office multiple times,' said Dhananjaya. 'The officials kept making verbal assurances but did nothing. This forced me to approach the Lokayukta.'In his formal complaint, Dhananjaya alleged not just negligence but also corruption. He argued that the failure to update the land khata to reflect individual flat owners' names deprived them of their legal land rights. Dhananjaya, who is also the Sanchalak of the Karnataka Home Buyers' Forum, said the issue is widespread and reflects systemic apathy towards apartment the need to include flat owners' names in land records, Naval veteran Commander Surendra said the BBMP must take proactive measures. 'Authorities have a duty to update records in accordance with ownership,' he said. 'This is not merely a procedural formality it directly impacts legal rights.'Adding a broader perspective to the issue, Ameya Usgaonkar, another apartment owner, highlighted flaws in the registration process. He explained that ownership typically begins with the sale of the undivided interest (UDI) in the project land. This is recorded through the registration of the Agreement for Sale (AFS), which is the first legal step and includes project details, timelines, and builder commitments.'The sale deed comes later and confirms the apartment transfer,' he said. 'If the AFS isn't registered, there's no legal provision under the Registration Act to reflect UDI in the final sale deed.'He pointed out that many builders bypass the AFS registration, retaining ownership of the land in official records. 'This loophole enables builders to maintain control and delays proper transfer of ownership to buyers,' he said. 'I believe the BBMP should coordinate with the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) to enforce AFS checks before granting Occupancy Certificates (OCs). If AFS isn't in place, subsequent apartment sales should not be permitted.'The Lokayukta is expected to investigate the matter and determine whether administrative failure or deliberate oversight is at play. For now, the complaint reflects growing frustration among Bengaluru's apartment owners who feel stranded in legal limbo despite following due process.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
NGT slams govt, orders recovery of Rs 5.7crore compensation from cracker unit
CHENNAI: (NGT) has slammed Tamil Nadu govt for inaction in auctioning the attached properties of a firecracker unit, where an explosion killed 21 people in 2021. It ordered the govt to treat the issue as urgent and pass necessary orders by June 24, the next date of hearing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Chief secretary N Muruganandam shall urgently obtain govt orders for allocating Rs 5.7 crore as pending compensation to the victims of the accident at Sree Mariammal Fireworks unit in Virudhunagar. The amount shall be recovered from the unit's owner or lessee, it said. The accident on Feb 12, 2021, claimed 26 lives and injured 26 others. Based on a committee's recommendation, NGT in 2021 fixed graded compensation from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh for the deceased and the injured. The order fixed 80% of the Rs 5.7 crore responsibility on the unit's licensee and lessees, and 10% each was apportioned to the central and state govts for regulatory lapses. While both govts disbursed their Rs 52 lakh shares through the CM and PM relief funds, the remaining 80% from the industry has not reached victims. The collector's status report said the firm's declared assets was only Rs 50 lakh, forcing the administration to seek state funding first, before recovering it. The state had earlier challenged the NGT order citing procedural lapses, but Supreme Court, in Jan 2024, rejected the argument, saying Tamil Nadu's approach was 'casual'. The apex court held that the state could not claim lack of hearing or missing documents as grounds for appeal, especially after being granted multiple opportunities post-remand. Though Supreme Court dismissed the state's appeal and cleared the tribunal's orders, the govt is yet to initiate the revenue recovery process against Sree Mariammal Fireworks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the Virudhunagar collector's May 9 communication, the proposal to recover Rs 5.7 crore was sent on Oct 28 last year but it remained unapproved by the govt. The unit's properties across two villages spanning 7.36 hectares have been blocked under Section 22-B(2) of the Registration Act in anticipation of recovery, it said. Recording the collector's letter, NGT, which had previously warned that inaction would attract a Rs10,000 cost, said on June 2 that apart from the collector's letter to the chief secretary, no progress had been made in the case. Reiterating that the issue should be treated as urgent, the tribunal adjourned the case to June 24.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Fix existing property regsitration system before going fully online: Maha stakeholders to Centre
Pune: Associations and stakeholders in Maharashtra have called for urgent corrections to the online property registration system, as the Centre calls for suggestions to replace the 117-year-old Registration Act with a new digital framework. The department of land resources has invited inputs on a draft bill proposing complete online property registration and mandatory digital filing of key documents — such as the agreement to sell, power of attorney and sale certificates. The system envisions Aadhaar-based authentication, electronic document storage and integration with govt databases to curb fraud. Several states have started to prepare for digital registration, but face challenges regarding infrastructure, timelines and system integration before a rollout. Maharashtra officials said they will soon submit suggestions reflecting ongoing implementations, but stress the need for departmental coordination and technical readiness. "We will send our inputs shortly," said a senior revenue official. Meanwhile, associations and citizen activists have flagged several concerns, including cybersecurity risks related to Aadhaar OTP verification, name formatting mismatches and lack of authorised service providers. The coalition highlighted vulnerabilities in the proposed Aadhaar-based OTP system and recommended alternative authentication methods such as email verification, biometric scanning or iris recognition. The alternatives are especially relevant for NRIs, who often face issues with phone-based OTPs. Name discrepancies between Aadhaar records and submitted documents have led to repeated application rejections. Stakeholders suggest the system should either accept names exactly as in Aadhaar or allow users to correct formatting errors. The group advocates integrating the new registration system with land records, municipal tax databases and electricity billing systems to facilitate automatic ownership verification and prevent frauds. Language accessibility remains a priority, with demands that rental agreements be issued in Marathi, the official state language. Currently, most such documents are available only in English, inconveniencing many. Technical challenges persist, especially in rural areas with poor internet connectivity. The association also raised concerns over frequent failures in the Pay2IGR payment gateway, causing transaction delays and administrative confusion. While officials from the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) acknowledge the issues, no formal response or revised implementation plan has been announced. Sources indicate ongoing stakeholder consultations and potential improvements before the final rollout. Meanwhile, the department of land resources emphasised the need for a modern and future-ready registration system. "Growing use of technology, evolving socio-economic practices and increasing reliance on registered documents for due diligence and legal processes necessitate a robust framework," it said. The draft bill proposes clear grounds for registration officers to refuse applications and allows govts to issue rules for cancellation of registrations, ensuring compliance with principles of natural justice. The provisions aim to maintain the legal reliability of registered documents. The bill introduces new roles — such as assistant inspectors general of registration — and streamlines appointment processes for registrars during vacancies to modernise the registration structure. It also empowers govts to align rule-making with local governance. The Centre has invited suggestions from states and stakeholders till June 25, as it works towards implementing a comprehensive, secure and user-friendly digital registration system.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Aadhaar-based verification to be optional for document registration under proposed bill
NEW DELHI: A new draft bill that seeks to enable online registration of land documents and other transactions provisions alternate verification mechanism for those who do not have or do not wish to use their Aadhaar, according to its content. The bill replaces the 117-year-old Registration Act, 1908. The draft bill prepared by the Department of Land Resources , Ministry of Rural Development, which has been placed for public feedback, introduces provisions to support online registration, electronic presentation and admission of documents, issuance of electronic registration certificates, and digital maintenance of records. It allows Aadhaar-based authentication with informed consent, but also alternative verification mechanisms for the people who do not possess Aadhaar or choose not to use it. The bill also enables electronic integration with other record-keeping systems. Under the Registration Act, documents related to immovable property, like sale deeds, gift deeds, mortgage deeds, and leases, are required to be registered. Wills, powers of attorney, and other court decrees and orders related to property rights are also subject to registration. The draft Bill expands the scope of compulsory registration to reflect contemporary property and transaction practices, and expands the list of documents required, according to the government officials. It also modernises the organisational structure of the registration system with a more responsive hierarchy, including the introduction of additional and assistant inspectors general of registration. The draft bill lays down the procedure for appointment of the inspectors general of registration, registrars, and sub-registrars, streamlines the appointment process for registrars in case of vacancies, and vests rule-making authority with the appropriate government to ensure alignment with the local governance. It promotes plain language drafting, digital enablement, and transparent procedures to make the registration process more accessible, especially for individual citizens and small businesses, officials said. While the present law requires that documents be presented at the registration office, the new draft bill says these documents can be presented "in person or through electronic means." The current law requires people registering documents to affix a passport-size photograph and fingerprints to the document. Under the new draft bill, an individual will have to affix in the document their signature, passport-size colour photograph or get photographed by a digital camera and thumb impression, either manually or through a biometric device, submit the Permanent Account Number (PAN). The bill provides that a person presenting any document for registration may affix physical signatures, electronic signatures under the Information Technology Act, 2000, or such other forms of signatures (whether physical or digital) as may be prescribed. It also says that every person presenting any document may undergo consent-based Aadhaar authentication, or offline verification or consent-based verification through officially valid documents or equivalent e-documents under applicable law. No person will be refused registration for not having an Aadhaar number, the draft bill says. In public interest and to prevent fraud, the government may require persons executing such documents notified through electronic means to physically appear before the registering officer, before issuing the registration certificate, the draft bill said. It also defines conditions in which the registration may be denied, and provides a mechanism for appealing against the denial of registration. The draft bill has the provision that allows the registration offices to have "other infrastructure" necessary to facilitate registration such as computers, scanners, and cloud storage.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre proposes online registration of property, docs such as ‘agreement to sell'
- NEW DELHI: As part of an exercise to make life simpler for citizens, the Centre has drafted a bill to replace the 117-year-old Registration Act which proposes to introduce online registration of property and mandates registration of documents such as 'agreement to sell', power of attorney, sale certificates and equitable mortgage arrangements, among others. The department of land resources under the rural development ministry has released the draft for public comment after several states decided to amend the law to allow for online registration. While the Registration Act applies across the country, states can amend the law in consultation with the Centre. The government is also seeking to allow for electronic registration certificates and digital maintenance of records. Apart from electronic presentation and admission of documents for registration, the govt has proposed Aadhaar-based authentication with 'informed consent', along with other verification methods for those who do not wish to share their unique ID, as part of an exercise to reduce frauds. Besides, the department said the draft legislation has suggested integration with other record-keeping agencies to enhance the efficiency of information flows. 'In recent years, the growing use of technologies, evolving socio-economic practices, and increasing reliance on registered documents for due diligence, service delivery and legal adjudication have underscored the need to create a forward-looking registration framework,' the land resources department said. Recognising the reliance placed on registered documents in legal and commercial contexts, the bill proposes clear and objective grounds under which a registering officer may refuse registration. It also provides an enabling provision for appropriate governments to issue rules on cancellation of registration subject to certain standards, including compliance with principles of natural justice. 'These provisions are intended to ensure that the registration process operates within the bounds of law while upholding the reliability and evidentiary value of registered instruments,' the ministry said. The bill has provisions that aim to modernise the organisational structure of the registration establishment, including the introduction of additional and assistant inspectors general of registration. It also seeks to streamline the appointment process for registrars in case of vacancies and vests rule-making authority with the appropriate government to ensure alignment with local governance structures.
