The Registration and Stamps department is hopeful that the government will exempt its services from lockdown and allow registrations through slot booking process.
The department which witnessed impressive recovery since the adverse impact of the first phase of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is hopeful that the pace of revenue collection will continue unhindered in spite of the lockdown. Senior officials are citing that the department was exempted during the first phase of the lockdown too, but was impacted by the slowdown in transactions for a few months.
The collections started improving since December last with revenue in excess of ₹400 crore each reported during the last three months of the previous financial year. “Revenue during April, the first month of the current financial year, stood at ₹717 crore marking a good beginning,” a senior official told The Hindu .
A section of senior officials are, however, sceptical about the relaxation as the Government Order on the lockdown did not make a mention of the Stamps and Registration department.
The department has taken enough steps to ensure that most of the processes are completed online. Applicants can upload their details as well as remit stamp duties through net banking or RTGS. “The department’s software allows online transactions without any hassles,” the official said adding the system would generate an e-pass to the applicants once they enter the details.
There could be some restrictions on the people entering the registration offices without valid papers, necessary Covid-19 protocols like checking temperature and placing sanitisers will be adopted for those who will be allowed. “We are awaiting a formal communication from the government and we are hopeful of receiving it at the earliest,” the official said.
It may be recalled that the Registration and Stamps department suffered a setback in the run-up to the introduction of Dharani portal and the amendments made to the Revenue Acts overhauling the system making it more user-friendly and transparent. Registrations were altogether stopped for some days and resumed in November starting with agricultural properties being registered on the portal and subsequently, non-agricultural properties in the old system.
