The Coimbatore Consumer Cause has written to the government to stop registration of documents of unapproved sites after October 20, 2016.
Secretary of the consumer organisation K. Kathirmathiyon has said that based on its public interest litigation and the directions of the Madras High Court, the State government enforced amendment Section 22A of the Registration Act from October 20, 2016.
According to the amendment, registration of documents relating to transfer of ownership of lands that were converted as house sites without the permission from the authorities concerned is not permitted. However, even after the notification, several unapproved house sites are illegally registered by a number of Sub-Registrars. When the issue was taken up, Inspector General of Registration then conducted an audit to find out the number of documents registered illegally.
The IG had then had even written to the AG (Audit) to conduct a special audit at all the registration offices.
Mr. Kathirmathiyon said these registrations were made with the connivance of the Registering authorities and since such documents were registered against the Act, they are all illegal and invalid before Law. As Section 22A amendment permits re-registration of documents of unapproved sites registered before October 20, 2016, documents after that date are also getting re-registered illegally. And the Department is not taking action against it. “When the original sale (document) is illegal all subsequent sales (registrations) are also illegal,” he said.
It is learnt that 12,500 illegal documents were registered. However, the numbers are likely to be more. Further, such registrations are continuing unmindful of the law or court orders. If documents registered illegally are not cancelled, many more transactions will take place on the documents.
Hence, the Department should stop immediately re-registration of the documents which were registered against Section 22A of the Act and cancel all those documents registered against the Act from October 20, 2016. It should conduct special audits to trace out all the unreported illegal documents and take action against Registering officials. The Department should dismiss the officials who are responsible for the illegal registration of the documents against the Act.
Mr. Kathirmathiyon said that if the Department failed to act on the issue in a month, the consumer body will file an appropriate petition before the High Court.
