Bhubaneswar: With the objective of providing simpler, transparent, faster and more convenient services to citizens, the State Government has taken a significant step towards complete digital transformation of the registration system.
A high-level meeting was held at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari to discuss proposed amendments to the Registration Act, 1908, required for introduction of paperless deed registration in the state.
Minister Pujari said making the registration system more transparent, simple, expeditious and citizen-centric is a key priority of the Government. The proposed paperless system will enable citizens to avail registration services in a hassle-free manner, while digital integration of land records with registration records will enhance efficiency and ease of service delivery.
The proposed amendments seek to transform the existing process into an end-to-end digital registration system. Amendments to eight existing provisions and insertion of nine new provisions have been proposed. These will provide legal recognition to Electronic Books, Electronic Signatures and Electronic Seals, and make provision for electronic preservation of registered documents and legal validity of their electronic copies.
The framework will facilitate electronic submission of documents and, in specified cases, electronic appearance and enquiry. Provision will be made for linking registration records with a Unique Property Identification Number (UPIN) integrated with government land records.
Electronic identity verification through Aadhaar authentication will be facilitated with citizen consent, but Aadhaar will not be mandatory. Verification may also be done through offline verification, Officially Valid Documents (OVDs), e-Documents and other prescribed electronic modes.
Standard templates will be developed for registrable documents, with provision for fully electronic registration of specified categories. Electronically issued registration certificates carrying e-Signature and e-Seal will have the same legal validity as physical certificates.
The system will enable digital integration of registration records with land records, cadastral maps, revenue records, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), planning authorities, financial institutions and other systems. Integration with mutation registers will facilitate electronic initiation and completion of mutation.
The amendments will also provide a legal framework for preservation and archiving of electronic records, cyber security and disaster recovery, ensuring security and long-term availability of digital records.
Under the proposed system, standardised deed templates will be made available for documents such as Sale Deed, Agreement to Sale, General Power of Attorney and Mortgage of Immovable Property.
The Revenue & Disaster Management Department said it is committed to making the state’s registration system more technology-driven, transparent, secure and people-oriented.
