Call for cancelling anywhere registration of properties

Scheme exists in B'luru Urban; complaints of multiple registrations

Karnataka could well learn a lesson from Telangana with respect to the ‘anywhere registration’ scheme. Telangana has suspended the scheme following instances of multiple registration of properties.

The scheme has been in place in Bengaluru Urban district since 2011. A notification issued in 2011 divided Bengaluru Urban district into five registration districts — Gandhinagar, Rajajinagar, Basavanagudi, Shivajinagar and Jayanagar — and the sub-registrar office in each of these districts was merged with the jurisdiction of the respective district. In short, properties in a registration district could be registered in any sub-registrar office pertaining to that district. The Stamps and Registration department received complaints of multiple registrations of properties.

But instead of reconsidering its earlier decision, the government proposed extending the scheme to the entire state. The proposal was, however, put on hold after the Law Department stated that it violated the rules. The department opined that the jurisdiction of sub-districts and the district cannot be the same and that it violates Sections 5 and 6 of the Central Act. Thus, the proposal of merging the districts was dropped in 2015. In a second opinion in July 2016, the Law Department stated that an administrative decision had to be taken to cancel the scheme, which presently exists in Bengaluru Urban district.

“There were far too many instances of multiple registrations in Telangana. In one case, the Telangana government even ordered a police investigation. On May 30, 2017, it suspended the ‘anywhere registration’ scheme. We are hopeful that Karnataka will take a similar decision,” said Shivakumar, the president of the nonprofit, Committee on Judicial Accountability, which filed the complaint with regard to multiple registrations in Bengaluru.

The circular issued by the Telangana government on May 30 categorically directed the sub-registrars not to register properties outside their jurisdiction. “All the sub-registrars are directed not to entertain any document falling under other jurisdiction of sub-registrar offices under the provision(s) of anywhere registration,” it read.