Administration directs stamps department to initiate steps for curbing multiple registries of properties

The district administration has asked the stamps and registration department to curb the “land mafia’s” activities, and to modify their systems so that they can be alerted if a duplicate registry is attempted on a property that has already been registered. Officials said the department has agreed and will make changes necessary to their software system within a fortnight.

District magistrate Dr Ajay Shankar Pandey said disputes caused by multiple registrations are a recurring problem, and said there have been “instances of the land mafia being involved.”

“The existing software has no cross-check of registries that may have been made for a second time. We have come across instances where the land mafia is involved registering a single property multiple times, and cheating people. Such activities need to be curbed as they put investors’ money at risk and give rise to legal disputes. We have asked the department to implement the changes,” Pandey said.

“The changes are likely to be put in place within a fortnight. This will help us curb erring instances and we will also be able to get alerts of any second or further registry taking place for an already registered property. Further, we have also asked officials to inform us of any powers of attorney being registered with sub-registrars,” he added.

At present, the stamps & registration department has no checks on any property registration and their primary concerns is to get revenue through stamp duty paid during property registrations.

Even the rules under the Registration Manual (part II) of the Registration Act, 1908, do not allow checking of the validity of documents brought before the officials for registrations.

There have been repeated attempts by district magistrates in Ghaziabad to curb registries but the norms do not allow checking of documents during the registration process.

Recently, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) during a survey in Indirapuram, Vaishali, and other areas, found multiple instances of construction of units greater than the sanction over single-unit plot properties and have started lodging FIRs against the same.

“We are going to take up the issue of registration of such illegal flats with the district administration. They can help us put a check on registration of such properties falling under the GDA jurisdiction area,” Kanchan Verma, the authority’s vice chairperson, said.