Delhiites can now register property with no location bar

The new feature, which officials said will allow registrations to become convenient and transparent, was drawn up by the revenue department

The Delhi government on Thursday said it will allow people to register their properties and documents at any of the registrar offices, irrespective of the jurisdiction, unveiling what it called the “Anywhere Registration” policy.

An official aware of the matter illustrated the policy’s feature by saying that if a person buys property in Janakpuri, they need not have it registered at the Janakpuri sub-registrar office and can, for instance, go to Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar or any other sub-registrar office where they find it convenient. (AP)

Read here: 16-year-old student falls to death from foot overbridge in Delhi

The new feature, which officials said will allow registrations to become convenient and transparent, was drawn up by the revenue department, approved by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and has been sent to lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena for notification.

It is likely to be notified in a couple of days, revenue minister Atishi said in a press conference at the Delhi secretariat on Thursday. “As per the directions of CM Arvind Kejriwal, the revenue department of the Delhi government has decided to introduce ‘Anywhere Registration’ policy. All 22 sub-registrar offices in Delhi will now function as joint sub-registrars, and their jurisdiction will extend to all of Delhi. People can register their properties at any sub-registrar office in Delhi,” Atishi added.

An official aware of the matter illustrated the policy’s feature by saying that if a person buys property in Janakpuri, they need not have it registered at the Janakpuri sub-registrar office and can, for instance, go to Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar or any other sub-registrar office where they find it convenient.

“The government came out with the policy after it received complaints from people that many sub-registrar offices [such as Janakpuri and Kashmiri Gate] are crowded, and they have to face long queues and booking an appointment takes a long time, while some sub-registrar offices [such as INA and Sarojini Nagar] are comparatively less-crowded. Another complaint that often comes in is of the prevalent corruption in many sub-registrar offices. There are middlemen outside the offices who demand money, and people are forced to pay these middlemen to get their registry work done in the same office because they do not have any choice but to get their documents registered at the specific sub-registrar office. To address these issues, the revenue department has initiated this new policy,” Atishi said.

To be sure, the LG had in April, as part of a crackdown on corruption at sub-registrar offices, directed the Delhi government to declare the city as a single district for the purpose of registration of properties to protect citizens from touts, and facilitate hassle-free property registration.

Such a declaration is only for the purpose of registration and mutation, and no changes have been proposed to the capital’s revenue boundaries. Currently, Delhi has 11 revenue districts and 22 sub-registrar offices. No changes would be made in their physical jurisdictions, only people will have the flexibility to choose, which was earlier not available.

The 22 sub-registrar offices in Delhi register over 20 different types of documents, including sale deeds, lease, conveyance deeds, power of attorneys, and all other documents that need to be compulsorily registered under law. Each year, the 22 sub-registrars together register around 3.5 lakh to 4 lakh documents.

Last month, the Delhi government started the facility of “one nation, one registration” software — National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) — at nine out of the 22 existing sub-registrar offices. The move enabled people, who wish to register their documents at the sub-registrar offices, to upload necessary documents, including Aadhaar card and photographs, on the website from the comfort of their homes and secure an appointment with the sub-registrar office.

“So, anyone residing in Delhi can make an online appointment for property registration at any of the 22 sub-registrar offices,” Atishi said.

The minister also said the move will increase transparency. “If people feel that some sub-registrar offices demand bribes, they won’t have to go to those offices. People will choose sub-registrar offices where work is done honestly and easily. This opportunity to evaluate our sub-registrars will reveal which offices operate with integrity and which ones may not be functioning properly,” Atishi said.

Read here: Delhi HC seeks Centre's representation on plea seeking Aadhaar-property linking

“CM Kejriwal has approved the scheme and the file has been sent to lieutenant governor VK Saxena for notification,” she added.

An official in the LG office said that the approval of LG is required before the policy is notified.