Maharashtra digitises housing society registration; documents slashed from 29 to 19

Pune: The state cooperation department has digitised the registration process for cooperative housing societies, making it faster, and less cumbersome.The department has launched a fully online system on the Aaple Sarkar Portal, designed to eliminate paperwork, curb influence of middlemen, and remove the need for repeated visits to govt offices. Officials told TOI on Saturday that the initiative aims to clear the massive backlog of unregistered buildings across the state.The reform significantly eases the administrative burden on residents by reducing the number of mandatory documents from 29 to 19.To simplify the process, 10 non-essential documents, including zoning certificates, title search reports, development agreements, and business projection plans, have been scrapped. However, critical documents regarding land ownership, construction approvals, promoter details, and registered agreements have been retained to ensure legal validity.State cooperation commissioner Deepak Taware said, "The move aims to simplify a long-pending, paperwork-heavy process. By digitising the workflow, we are cutting down visits to deputy registrars' offices and speeding up approvals." He added that the system applies to all cooperative societies and also allows for amendments to existing bye-laws.Efficiency is at the heart of the new portal. The entire registration process — from initial submission to final approval — is now mandated to be completed within a fixed timeline of two months.The platform allows applicants to fill out forms, upload documents, and track their application status in real-time. Deputy Registrar (IT) Mahendra Magar noted that the system is integrated with the govt's accounting framework, allowing the Rs2,500 registration fee to be paid online via the GRAS system.Since its April rollout, the portal has already received 43 applications, with 14 approved for processing and three currently under scrutiny.The initiative is expected to benefit thousands of residents, particularly in urban hubs like Mumbai and Pune. Currently, the state database shows only about 1.25 lakh registered housing societies, while hundreds of thousands of buildings continue to operate informally due to procedural delays or a lack of cooperation from builders.Formal registration is a crucial milestone for any building. "Once registered, societies can manage finances more effectively, carry out essential repairs, apply for ‘deemed conveyance,' and access various govt services," Taware explained.Housing society federations have hailed the move, noting that excessive red tape has discouraged residents for years. "Many societies were stuck because they couldn't procure specific documents or because builders were uncooperative," said a federation member. "This online system empowers residents and significantly reduces exploitation by middlemen."Officials clarified that while the process is now leaner, legal safeguards remain. "We have removed repetitive requirements while retaining all critical documents needed to establish the legitimacy of a society," an official said.
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