Bill mandating registration of Power of Attorney tabled in Karnataka Assembly

Bengaluru: In a move that could potentially reduce hurdles in land registration in the state, the government on Tuesday tabled a Bill in the Assembly that mandates compulsory registration of Power of Attorney (PoA) to transfer immovable properties. 

The Bill, if enacted as a law, will make it harder for fraudsters to cheat landowners of their rightful properties.

The Registration (Karnataka Amendment) Bill was tabled by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda alongside four other Bills.

The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill mandates the compulsory registration of documents relating to the grant of immovable property by the government. A clause also requires government officers to send the documents electronically to the registering officers.

Gowda also tabled the Karnataka Stamp (Amendment) Bill bringing digital e-stamping within the ambit of duly stamped. 

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, it also grants legal support to electronic signatures and enables payment of stamp duty by electronic means.

The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill acknowledges several cases of forgery and fraud by "tampering" of original documents.

The Bill seeks to prevent the "collusion" of revenue officers with land grabbers to make revenue records in favour of such grabbers.

"In order to prevent fraudulent entries in revenue records by the revenue officers, it is necessary for the government to bring more stringent norms to check practices and making them more accountable," the state of objects and reasons of the Bill states.

he Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition (Amendment) Bill seeks to protect the government land and ensure that revenue officials do not shirk from their primary responsibility.

The Bill also intends to introduce an accurate way to measure distance while filing a case against encroachment of government lands.

The Karnataka Village Offices Abolition (Amendment) Bill was also tabled.