In a bid to bring about greater degree of transparency in the functioning of the Government and more importantly, to prevent 'corruption' in registration of land, the State Government is going to introduce online registry system in Uttarakhand soon.
Admitting corruption in registration of land and exploitation of people in this process, State Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh, has informed that Uttarakhand is soon going to have online registry system.
“The online registry system is being introduced in the hill State on the lines of Maharashtra online registry system. Official concerned of the finance department has studied the Maharashtra online registry system. Therefore, we are now in a position to introduce the online registry system here in Uttarakhand also,” added the State Finance Minister. “With registry system becoming online in the State the people will not have to conduct unnecessary visits of the registry office. More so, the online registry system will also help the citizens avoid any difficulty they are presently facing in land registration works,” the State Finance Minister expressed hope, adding “Besides, it will also earn more revenue for the State Government.”
It is worth mentioning here that in its efforts to prevent corruption in public life, the State Government has already introduced a system for payment of salary, pension, scholarship to name a few.
“More so, we have already adopted e-tendering system in the state and that has also helped us in ensuring smooth function and strengthening deliver system,” added Hridayesh.
“The matter of concern is that corruption in registration of land is an open secret. No one can deny this fact. On the one hand innocent people are exploited in the name of registration, on the other the Government has also to bear revenue loss in crore every year. But the State Government is serious about providing a corruption free , clean Government to the people of this State. Therefore, efforts taken to switch over to the online land registration system is also a step in this direction,” Hridayesh further said.
It is worth mentioning here that as the State Finance Minister has admitted corruption in registration of land, perhaps fearing to avoid any legal action during the recently concluded general elections, land dealers took up their land transaction works in a limited way.
loss of nearly Rs one crore to the Government exchequer only from Haldwani, Kaladhungi and lakuan tehsils through registry of land only in the month of April when election campaign for the lok Sabha polls was at its peak, only lends strength to this belief.
“The fact is that the income of Rs 3,06,16,979 the Government received as stamp duty and registration fee through sale of land in Haldwani, lalkuan and Kaladhungi tehsils in the month of April in 2013-2014, came down to Rs 2,23,56,410 in the corresponding period this year i.e. in April 2014- 2015, showing a loss of Rs 82,60,569 in the current financial year, as the figures provided by the Sub-registrar office -Iand II,” Haldwani suggest.
As the property experts here maintain since the purchasers and sellers of land show less transaction of land deal in papers to avoid tax using cash as mode of payment, perhaps to avoid any kind of risk of seizure of cash in large amount during election period, the land dealers restricted their land related works during that period resulting in less sale of land during the recently concluded general elections here.