K’taka mulls negative scoring for staff postings to curb graft in regn dept

Bengaluru: Aiming to curb corruption in the stamps and registration department, the state govt has proposed a negative scoring system for posting sub-registrars, senior registration officers and first division assistants, tying career mobility to pending cases and disciplinary records.Under the new system, officials facing criminal charges, Lokayukta investigations or serious allegations may be transferred prematurely and confined to non-executive or Zone-C postings. The move follows recent probes that unearthed multi-crore irregularities in property registrations, including a Bengaluru case in Jan in which five sub-registrars were suspended for illegally registering 1,322 properties. The list included land belonging to Infosys worth Rs 250 crore, with officials accused of misusing the Kaveri 2.0 software and bypassing e-khata norms. Postings in Bengaluru are widely seen as highly lucrative, with allegations that officials pay hefty sums to secure slots in high-value jurisdictions and later recover the money through illegal collections or so-called "speed money" in return for fast-tracking registrations. To address this, the draft Karnataka Civil Services (Counselling Based Transfers in Stamps and Registration Department) Rules, 2026, proposes a marks-based system where criminal complaints, Lokayukta cases and departmental inquiries will reduce an officer's overall performance score. Those with higher negative scores will have lower chances of securing preferred postings. The rules also mandate that transfers be carried out only through a digital counselling system. To boost transparency and curb lobbying, the govt will publish annual vacancy lists and the pool of eligible candidates, ahead of such exercise. The draft prescribes minimum tenures, including two years for key officials and four years for FDAs, while enforcing compulsory transfers for those serving extended periods in high-value Zone-A areas, such as the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region. Senior sub-registrars and sub-registrars who complete five out of first eight years of service in Zone-A, and FDAs and stenographers who complete six years in Zone A, will be moved out. They can subsequently opt for postings only outside Zone A. Safeguards have been included for physically challenged employees, along with preferential postings for certain categories of women employees. Provisions have also been made to accommodate spouses in the same or nearby locations, subject to conditions. The draft notification has been published for public feedback, with objections and suggestions invited within 15 days.Points for gfx:POSTING PURGE* Negative score to decide postings, promotions* Cases, probes will cut chances of prime postings* Digital counselling to replace transfer lobbying* Sr sub-registrars, sub-registrars who completed 5 yrs in Zone A to be moved out* FDAs, stenographers who completed 6 yrs in Zone A to be moved out; can opt for postings only outside Zone A
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