Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the officials concerned to take stringent measures to prevent corruption and illegal activity in the Registrations Department and prepare tough guidelines if need be.
The Chief Minister has expressed his ire over the state of affairs in the Registration department and wanted an immediate action to eradicate corruption and remedial action to clean up the system. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to scrap the “Anywhere Registration” system in the State immediately. Accordingly, the Registration & Stamps officers implemented the same with immediate effect. The CM wanted the officials to clean up the department and asked them to prepare a foolproof plan.
The Chief Minister held a high-level review meeting on the Stamps & Registration Department at Pragathi Bhavan here on Tuesday. Deputy CM Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Minister Jagdeesh Reddy, Government Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SP Singh, Principal Secretaries BR Meena, Nadeem Ahmed, Shanti Kumari, Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy, MP K Kavita, IG Purnachandra Rao, Ranga Reddy District Collector Raghunandan Rao and officials from Stamps & Registration Department participated.
The CM discussed the issue of 796 acres of government land registered to the private persons in Medchal. He wanted the officials to take firm action against the guilty and wanted CID to probe it in depth. However, the CM declared that there is no truth in certain reports that the government land has gone into the hands of private persons. Not even a square yard of government land in Miyapur went to the private persons, the CM said after ascertaining details from the officials.
Govt land safe; greedy officials aided culprits
“To get loans from banks and other financial institutions, certain persons put government survey numbers and registered the lands. Some officials have also colluded in this. The matter came to the notice of the government recently and on May 25, 2017, the registration was cancelled. Action was taken against the guilty and further action will also be taken against all those involved. Registering government lands is illegal and such registrations are not accepted. The government land in Miyapur though registered there is no legality to it. The land is not transferred. The government land is very much under the government’s possession. Private persons used the Survey Numbers for registration to get loans. The land is not alienated and hence people should not worry. There is no truth in reports that government land is in the hands of the private persons,” the CM clarified.
The CM said there is an apprehension among people that unless they bribe registrations will not take place. “This situation should change and reforms should come in the Registration department. There is a need to total clean up, overhaul and if need be prepare new guidelines and without spending even a rupee as bribe the registrations should take place,” the CM told officials. He wanted the department to put an end to the practice of anywhere registration and each Sub-Registrar should register the properties under his jurisdiction only. The officials accordingly issued the orders.
Asks ACB to keep vigil at offices
The CM had a high-level review meeting since morning on measures to be taken to control irregularities and corruption in the Stamps and Registration department and has taken several key decisions. He decided to deal with firm action on irregularities happening at the Registration offices during the registration of documents.
Anywhere registration system is abolished forthwith. ACB officials are instructed to keep a close vigil on the activities in the Sub-registrar offices all over the States whenever an offence is committed and criminal cases should be booked. The CM also instructed the ACB officials to investigate where the irregularities are going to take place and nab the culprits.
Other important decisions are: Special discretionary powers given to Sub-Registrars and Registrars under Section 47 A have been withdrawn; CID has been entrusted with conducting a thorough probe on the Miyapur government land registration case; the government got information that all the Benami transactions are not being uploaded by the officials in collusion with those registering the documents.
The government came to know that there is about 20 per cent of such registrations. The police are instructed to conduct raids on 141 Registration offices across the state, seize the documents, which are not uploaded. The police department has constituted Flying Squads for the purpose. The Flying Squads are going to raid the Registration offices from tomorrow. Instructions are given to the police to take immediate action against the irregularities.
The CM has studied both the Central and state registrations’ Acts. He wanted transfer of the employees who are longstanding at one place. He also instructed the officials to change the guidelines, and methods that may give opportunity to commit irregularities and lead to corruption. The CM wanted the guidelines and process to be in such a way that no one can ever demand a single rupee as bribe nor can anyone give a Rupee.
Two more sub-registrars suspended
Balanagar Sub-Registrar Mohammed Yousuf, Medchal Sub-Registrar Ramesh Chandra Reddy were suspended while Kukatpally Sub-Registrar Srinivas Rao has already been suspended. Police have registered criminal cases against the three accused, who are facing corruption and irregularities charges. Srinivas Rao has already been arrested and sent to the remand. (NSS)