CHENNAI: Commercial Taxes Minister P Moorthy on Tuesday told the Tamil Nadu Assembly that the government had identified thousands of fake documents for land registration across the state and these would be cancelled with retrospective effect by empowering the Inspector General of Registration. As of now, the registration authorities have no power to cancel such documents but can only refer them to a court.
Responding to T Velmurugan of the Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi during the discussion on the revised budget for 2021-22 and the exclusive budget for agriculture, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said according to the CAG report, around 4.5 lakh acres of government lands were under encroachment in Tamil Nadu.
“This is 4.5 to 5 percent of government land in the entire Tamil Nadu. The lowest extent of encroachment is in Tirunelveli district (1.5 to 2 percent) and highest extent of encroachment is in Chennai district (23 percent) -- i.e around one fourth of the government land in Chennai is under encroachment. To retrieve these encroached lands, the government has announced two steps: firstly, implementing a land management system with GPS mapping to maintain the public properties efficiently.
Secondly, taking action against the irregularities in land registrations and introducing legislation in this regard,” the minister added.
Giving more information, Moorthy said, “We are getting information that across Tamil Nadu, thousands of acres of government lands have been registered using fake documents and through impersonation. As of now, the Sub-Registrar who registers the document has no power to cancel that registration. So, in the budget, it has been announced that an amendment would be carried out in the Registration Act to empower the IG of Registration to cancel the fake documents with retrospective effect.”
Responding, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “To prevent fake document registration, former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had brought in many new measures like producing the original documents, fixing the photographs of seller, buyer and witness in the sale deed and videographing of the entire registration process. A CD of this video would be given to the parties involved in the registration. Due to these activities, fake document registration was stalled during the AIADMK regime.”
Countering this, the Commercial Taxes Minister said the fixing of photographs of the concerned in the deed came into force only from August 9. As per the existing Registration Act, the Sub Registrar could only refer the document in question to the court and he has no powers to cancel it. Now, legislation to amend the Act would be introduced giving powers to the IG of Registration to cancel the fake documents. He also asserted that the government had evidence to prove that thousands of fake documents had been registered.
Minister for Cooperation I Periyasamy said to prevent registration of benami documents, former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi made the physical presence of buyer and seller mandatory at the registrar office.