The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Bid to make registrar offices public-friendly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 18, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Bid to make registrar offices public-friendly

By V.S. Palaniappan

COIMBATORE, FEB. 17. The Inspector-General of Registrations has issued guidelines to make the registrar/sub-registrar offices public-friendly and urged the Deputy Inspector-Generals (DIGs), the District Registrars (DRs) and the Sub-Registrars to ensure compliance.

The guidelines come in the wake of complaints of sub-registrar offices fixing their own timings for receiving applications and a time frame for disposing of them. The Registration Department has already begun computerising all offices. The stress is on receiving files through the computer network to improve service. Efforts are on to ensure that registration of property is completed within an hour and the Encumbrance Certificate (EC) issued within an hour of application.

The IG's circular has decried the fixing of a time frame (only for a few hours in the morning) for acceptance of applications for issue of the EC, document copies and registration. The time taken for processing applications should be reduced, it says. Applications for certified document copies and for issuing ECs should be accepted anytime during the working hours. No applicant should be turned away on any account during the hours, the circular says.

Fleecing by

document-writers

The other set of guidelines aims at ending fleecing by document writers. Besides fixing charges for the writers, the circular directs them to display a noticeboard containing the department-approved rates. Those who fail to do so will have their licences cancelled. Whenever an applicant seeks registration or any other service, the department staff shall ask for the receipt issued by the document writer and verify whether the charges are in adherence to the stipulated rates.

The staff should also enquire whether the document writer demanded more. If so, steps should be taken by the sub-registrar to write to the District Registrar to have the licence of the document writer cancelled. If the document writer is licensed at the State level, the case should be reported to the office of IG. The AIG of Registration (Administration) should ensure compliance with this directive.

The rates fixed for document writers are: Rs. 200 for sale deeds, transfer deeds, gift deeds, settlement deeds and partition deeds; Rs. 50 for deposit of title deeds, pledge/mortgage deeds, partnership deeds, release deeds, trust deeds; and Rs. 25 for any other document.

Any failure to comply with these directives or any violation can be brought to the notice of the IG (Registration) by e-mail to igr@tn.reginet.net or on phone (95-44-24640160 - extension 213) or by fax to 95-44-24942774 or the district registrar office at 95-422-2300722.

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