The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State plans to introduce digitised encumbrance certificates

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State plans to introduce digitised encumbrance certificates

B.S. Satish Kumar

It prevents scope for cheating of buyers and banks with wrong entries

Digitisation of encumbrance certificates may take a long time
It will reduce time taken for the issue of encumbrance certificates

BANGALORE: In a bid to prevent duping of property buyers and lending institutions with false encumbrance details, the Stamps and Registration Department is planning to introduce digitised encumbrance certificates.

Inspector-General of Registration and Commissioner for Stamps H. Shashidhar told The Hindu that his department is planning to replace the present system of making manual entries in the encumbrance certificates with the digitised method.

Such a system would prevent any scope for manipulation of details regarding encumbrance with wrongful entries. He said that there was a possibility of the property owners manipulating the entry in the encumbrance certificates in collusion with officials.

The digitisation of the encumbrance certificates is expected to take a long time as it involves several complicated procedures. The Department is examining them.

A clear picture in this regard is likely to emerge in about six months when the digitisation might be introduced on a pilot basis as part of the study to be undertaken by the department on ways and means of digitising encumbrance certificates. However, the department has not set any deadline for introducing the digitised system.

To begin with, all the manual data from the records of the department would have to be digitised by feeding into the computer system.

The department has to develop an appropriate software to support the digitisation process. The software and the computer applications would be integrated into other functions of the department related to the encumbrance issues.

Mr. Shashidhar said the digitisation method would also reduce the time taken for the issue of encumbrance certificates.

“All that people want is a transparent system which provides them clean and reliable data regarding encumbrance of property. Also there should not be any hassles, including the undue delay, in getting these certificates,” Mr. Shashidhar said and noted that his department was working towards meeting these aspirations of people.

Sources in the government said that the digitised encumbrance certificates would mark another milestone in the ongoing revenue reforms in the State. This is because the process of digitisation would involve several reforms that would reduce the scope for manipulation of data regarding properties.

The encumbrance details have achieved significance in the wake of the property rates shooting up sharply in urban areas, especially Bangalore. This has also increased the scope for frauds related to transactions of properties as well as mortgaging them with financial institutions.

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