Govt to introduce new system for ‘raiyati’ land deals soon

Patna: The state govt is set to make raiyati land transactions more transparent and secure by allowing buyers to access complete official land records before registration. The excise, prohibition and registration department has completed preparations for the new system, which is expected to be implemented across the state this month.According to departmental officials, applicants will now have to provide 13 categories of information on the e-registration portal to make the registration process more transparent. The initiative is being implemented under the ‘Sabka Samman, Jeevan Aasaan’ programme of Saat Nischay-3. Earlier, on Feb 16, the revenue and land reforms department and the Excise, Prohibition and Registration Department jointly issued directions to all district magistrates regarding the new arrangement.Under the new system, applicants will have to create an account and log in to the e-registration portal before purchasing land. They will be required to provide details such as the registration office name, circle, mouza, police station number, khata-khesra number, land area, boundary details, jamabandi information, names of buyers and sellers, and land category. Applicants will also have the option to seek updated official information about the land before registration.If applicants do not opt for verification, the registration process will continue as usual. However, if verification is sought, the application will be forwarded to the concerned circle officer or revenue officer through the online portal and an SMS alert will also be issued.The circle officer will verify the information and provide complete details within 10 days. If no response is received within the stipulated period, the information submitted by the applicant will be treated as correct and the registration process will proceed automatically. The system will apply only to raiyati land.Excise, Prohibition and Registration department secretary Ajay Yadav said the system was introduced following repeated complaints of the same land being sold to multiple buyers and the growing number of land disputes. He said the initiative would provide additional facilitation to buyers and help improve transparency while reducing fraud in land transactions across the state.