Kerala Legislative committee recommends to implement statewide property registration

Thiruvananthapuram: The legislative committee has requested the government to improve property registration arrangements across the state. Although the existing system allows people to register their property at any registrar office within their district, it is alleged that the system is ineffective. The legislative estimate committee, led by K K Shailaja, recommended improving the registration facilities within districts and exploring the possibility of statewide property registration.

Presently, there is no uniform system to track where individuals or entities have registered assets with sub-registrar offices. To address this, the committee recommends introducing a 'Unique Thandaper Number' (UTN) system or ‘Unique Identification Number’. 

To prevent fraud and tax evasion, the government should have knowledge to individuals' and Institutions’  tax paying resources. For this, the committee recommends a unified software for registration information, accessible to both central and state governments. Various departments should be equipped with data collection facilities if required in this regard, the committee said. 

Document registration should be made available online at all sub-registrar offices in the state. Steps should be taken to digitize document registration and provide copies to parties concerned. The committee asks the government to facilitate registration on public holidays as well. Besides, the committee suggests providing assistance for self-prepared title documents through e-stamping.

To prevent fraud, there is currently no online system to verify whether immovable properties are mortgaged with cooperative banks, societies, or financial institutions. It is recommended that each sub-registrar office have an online system to access such information.

There are no specific rules for mortgaging properties. There is also no cap on stamp duty and registration fees for home and small business loans. Therefore, the committee recommends making registration mandatory for Deposit of Title Deeds to alleviate financial burden on borrowers. For this, The Registration Act should be amended accordingly, the committee said.