Teething problems continue to haunt transactions in the Dharani portal, the online system introduced to reduce human interface in land transactions for making them transparent.
Transactions related to assigned land in particular are hit by several problems. One such is assigned land registered under the Assignment Lands (Prohibition of Transfer) Act 1977 facing multiple assignments of the same land to several beneficiaries.
According to officials, beneficiaries were given pattas during assignment drives at different points of time in the past without actually giving possession of land. Same land had been assigned to different beneficiaries during these drives. In cases where possession was given, land located in a particular area had been assigned to eligible beneficiaries while its location in the records bore a different survey number.
Another typical problem encountered by the officials concerned in the agency areas is the operation of two legislations – Land Assignment (Prohibition of Transfer) Act and Land Transaction Regulation Act of 1970 popularly known as LTR 1/70 Act banning land transactions in agency areas between tribals and non-tribals and non-tribals and non-tribals.
Senior officials said that transactions relating to assigned lands were accompanied by legacy issues. Assignment lands have been set in “limited auto lock mode” in Dharani portal wherein eligible beneficiaries could apply for only succession rights. “These lands falling under the PoT Act of 1977 are heritable not alienable. Only succession is permitted in respect of these lands not sale or gift,” a senior official told The Hindu .
A specific module relating to succession has been incorporated in Dharani portal and applying through this portal will ensure that the transaction is carried out without any hassles. Succession certificates have been issued to few thousands of eligible beneficiaries who submitted their applications through the succession module.
The Registration department had focused on addressing the legacy issues and District Collectors had been directed to concentrate on attending the complaints as and when they are received. “There are certain problems, but these are not on account of Dharani portal,” the official asserted, adding steps are underway to ensure that these issues did not recur in the coming days.
