Amid the raging pandemic and imposition of restrictions, registration of documents in Sub-Registrars’ offices in the State has fallen to about 30% of the normal. However, what has riled a section of department officials is the insistence of the government to continue the services, which falls under non-essential category, for revenue generation.
Revenue Department sources said that over 30 data entry operators have tested positive for COVID-19, and news of more cases keep coming. “With many people still flocking to Sub-Registrar offices, the chance of transmission is very high,” sources said.
From the average 9,000 documents being registered daily before the pandemic hit the State, it is now down to about 2,500 documents. Offices are functioning on normal timing, between 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.
Public interface
The registrations mostly pertain to properties, sources in the government said. To reduce public interface, the department has made the certificate copy services online, while introducing both online and offline facilities to procure encumbrance certificate. “The number of documents being registered during the curfew period has reduced. However, you can still see a good number of people, throwing social distancing norm to the wind. For one property registration, there are at least five persons. Besides the buyer and seller, you need witnesses and a deed writer,” an official said.
A senior Sub-Registrar in Bengaluru acknowledged the scare in the department. “Several Sub-Registrars in the city have turned positive, along with a number of data-entry operators. A couple of data-entry operators have died. In many offices, not even 20% of registrations are happening. I don’t know why the government has kept our offices open,” he added.
Inspector General of Registrations and Commissioner of Stamps K.P. Mohanraj was not available for comments.
