In a bid to avert scams and make property registrations more secure, the state government is considering making ‘pattas’ mandatory for transactions. At present, properties can be registered in Tamil Nadu by furnishing either the parent document of the land or the ‘patta’.

The parent document is the registration deed by which the previous owner acquired the property, ‘patta’ is a revenue document detailing all the previous owners dating back to a specified date.

According to revenue department sources, the move would provide a double layer of protection during property sale.

“When ‘patta’ is made compulsory there would be engagement of two departments (registration and revenue), enhancing the security cover for property registrations,” a senior revenue department official told TOI.

The revenue department is sending study teams to other states, including Karnataka, that have introduced the system.

“If we decide to launch, it will be on a pilot basis (in selected places) to look at how it works,” the official said. A certifying surveyor would be nominated for scrutiny of land ‘pattas’ ahead of registration of properties, sources added.

The number of land documents jumped by 20,000 over 2016-17.

Registration department sources said they were yet to get a formal communication from the revenue department regarding the proposal. “But, it is good development that would benefit the buyers at large,” a registration official added.

However, a few said mandating use of ‘pattas’ would be a challenge in view of the prevalence of forgeries. An official cited instances of ‘poromboku’ land being sold by forging ‘pattas’.

Yogesh Kabirdoss, Economic Times, Chennai