There has been a 32% increase in the number of registrations of properties and documents and 19% increase in registration revenue in Tamil Nadu during the period from February 13, 2018, to June 20, 2018, when the registration process went online, over the corresponding period last year.

While the overall number of registration of documents went up from 6.43 lakh to 8.51 lakh, revenue increased from Rs 2,234 crore to Rs 2,660 crore during the last four months when the system went online. The hike in registrations is primarily being viewed as a positive fallout of computerisation of the registration process, introduced on February 13, 2018, said IG registration J Kumaragurubaran.

Among the sub-registrar (SR) offices that saw an exponential growth in revenue are Mylapore – Rs 39 crore to Rs 72 crore – and Saidapet I – Rs 54 crore to Rs 70 crore. In some sub-registrar offices, especially those in and around Chennai like Thiruporur, Anna Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Sembium, Saidapet I and Pallavaram, there is a considerable fall in the number of registrations after the online system was introduced. Developers are of the opinion that the fall in registrations in some sub-registrar offices could be owing to man-made glitches, aimed at showing that the online system was a disaster.

“We find a lot of resistance among SR office staff to the online system. Blaming poor net connectivity for the delay caused in registration of documents, the staff subject customers to untold hardships,” said a developer.

Computerisation of registration process has brought in automation on a large scale. Apart from online booking, even the back office operation is done online at present, said Kumaragurubaran. The department has engaged 500 data entry operators through a contractor to handle the additional workload like scanning images and documents, he said. “Introduction of the online system has increased transparency in administration and accountability of registration department staff. We are keeping a close watch on SR offices that perform below par and from where lots of customer complaints emerge. Wherever people are found wilfully delaying the procedures, strict action will follow,” said Kumaragurubaran.

Though the overall revenue trend looks positive, it is too early to project the growth for the financial year, he said.

The slashing of guideline values across the state a year ago could have played a major role in boosting real estate transactions and registration revenue, said Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India Chennai chapter Vice-President S Sridharan.

Source: Economic Times, Chennai