New guidelines issued to streamline document registration process and protect citizens

Bhubaneswar: To safeguard citizens, the inspector general of revenue and sub-registrars have been asked to comply only with authorised circulars or instructions issued by the revenue and disaster management department in relation to registration of any kind of document.In a communication to the inspector general of revenue and registrars, additional chief secretary of revenue and disaster management, Deoranjan Kumar Singh, said that the department noticed that many departments, organisations and authorities were issuing circulars relating to matters of registration to field officers.He stated that this was being done without the approval or knowledge of the revenue department, which was a violation of govt rules of business where the subject “registration” comes under the purview of the department.“This has created unnecessary confusion and ambiguity at the field level in the mind of the registering officers with the disastrous consequences of total paralysis and dislocation of the whole registration process in the state, leading to severe hardship to the citizens and deep discontentment and anguish among the public,” Singh stated.He said it was also causing other serious and avoidable legal complications. “The registering officers at the field level are clueless as to how to proceed in the matter while discharging their statutory duties with a barrage of circulars issued by various authorities or departments with no jurisdiction to administer the registration system,” Singh said.He further said that this was causing huge revenue loss in terms of stamp duty and registration fees. He highlighted that the matter requires immediate and effective action to prevent the total collapse of the registration system in the state.“It is hereby clearly and unambiguously directed that the registering officers should strictly follow the provisions of appropriate acts and rules governing the registration of documents as well as circulars issued from time to time by the revenue and disaster management department only,” stated Singh, instructing officers to avoid other circulars.Real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan said that other departments and authorities have impacted the registration system for a decade now. “This has caused immense confusion at the field level, and citizens have suffered. A proper circular has been issued now that can ease the registration process, especially for houses,” he said.