Online Property Registration: In this era of online, now property registration will also be done sitting at home. The central government is making a law for this. In fact, the government has prepared a new bill, which proposes to start the facility of online registration of property. This bill will replace the 117-year-old Registration Act.
This new law will make it mandatory to register documents like ‘Agreement to Sale’, Power of Attorney and Sale Certificate. The Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development has released this draft for public comments. Several states have decided to amend this law to allow online registration. Although the Registration Act is applicable throughout the country, states can make changes to it with the support of the Centre.
Online registration and digital records through Aadhaar
The government wants to introduce a system of electronic registration certificates and digital record keeping through this bill. There will also be a facility for online submission and acceptance of documents. Apart from this, an Aadhaar-based verification system has been proposed to prevent fraud, in which the consent of the individual will be necessary. Other verification options will also be available for those who do not want to share their Aadhaar information. The government has also suggested that to further improve the registration process, it should be linked with other record-keeping agencies, so that information can be exchanged easily.
Need for change in law
The Department of Land Resources says that due to the increasing use of technology, socio-economic changes and increasing reliance on registered documents in recent years, the need for a modern registration structure is being felt. The use of registered documents has become very important in legal and commercial matters like document verification, service provision and legal decisions. Therefore, this bill clarifies the circumstances under which the registration officer can refuse to register a document. There is also a provision to make rules for cancellation of registration, which will be based on certain criteria.
What will be the benefit?
This new law is trying to make the property registration process more transparent, faster and secure. Online registration and digital records will save time and effort. Aadhaar verification and other options will reduce the chances of fraud. Also, sharing information with other agencies will make the process more efficient. This bill can be a big step towards making property-related transactions easier and more reliable. The government has asked people to give their opinion on this draft, so that it can be improved.
