Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken a significant step towards complete digital transformation of the registration system.
Revenue & Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari chaired a high-level meeting here on Thursday to discuss proposed amendments to the Registration Act, 1908, required for introduction of paperless deed registration in the state.
Pujari said one of the key priorities of the state government is to make the registration system more transparent, simple, expeditious and citizen-centric. He explained that the proposed Paperless Deed Registration system will enable citizens avail registration services in a more convenient and hassle-free manner.
The proposed amendments aim to transform the existing registration process into an end-to-end digital registration system. Accordingly, amendments to eight existing provisions of the Act and insertion of nine new provisions have been proposed.
The amendments will provide legal recognition to electronic books, electronic signatures and electronic seals. Provision will also be made for electronic preservation of registered documents and according legal validity to their electronic copies and records.
The new framework will facilitate electronic submission of documents for registration and in specified cases, electronic appearance and electronic enquiry. Provision will also be made for linking registration records with a Unique Property Identification Number (UPIN), or an identification number integrated with government land records.
Electronic identity verification through Aadhaar authentication will be facilitated with the consent of citizens. Aadhaar, however, will not be mandatory. Identity 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, along with provision for fully electronic registration of specified categories of documents. Registration certificates issued electronically will carry an electronic signature and electronic seal, with such certificates having the same legal validity as their physical counterparts.
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 relevant government systems. Integration among registration records, land records and mutation Registers will facilitate initiation and completion of the mutation process electronically.
The proposed amendments will also provide a legal framework for preservation and archiving of electronic records, cyber security and disaster recovery, thereby ensuring the security, integrity and long-term availability of digital registration records.
Under the proposed e-registration and Paperless Registration 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.