Hyderabad: Registration of non-agricultural properties in Telangana began on Monday with the old system, following High Court orders not to insist on Aadhaar details of the applicants.
Long queues of the applicants were seen at the offices of the sub-registrars across the state for registration under Computer-aided Administration of Registration Department (CARD).
Following the High Court orders, authorities have stopped slot bookings in advance for registration. The applicants also do not have to furnish Aadhaar details.
The High Court had on December 17 directed the government to stop forthwith collecting personal details of family members and Aadhaar card particulars even for slot bookings to register non-agricultural properties.
The court made it clear that the state government cannot adopt surreptitious means to collect such details of people either through Dharani portal or even through the old method of registration.
Registration of non-agricultural properties had resumed on December 14 after a gap of more than three months following the High Court orders permitting the commencement of registrations with 100 per cent advance slot booking.
The court had directed the government not to insist on Aadhaar number and other details for Dharani portal.
The government had promised that the new system will ensure increased transparency and no discretion at any level.
A total of 2,599 slots were booked for registrations and 1,760 registrations were completed.
However, as the government continued to insist on Aadhaar details of the applications, some individuals filed Public Interest Litigations (PILs).
Though Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was scheduled to hold a review meeting on December 19 to decide whether to file an appeal against the High Court order or prepare guidelines as per its direction, the meeting was cancelled.
The government made an announcement that registrations will resume under CARD system without slot bookings.
The registration of both agricultural and non-agricultural land was stopped in the first week of September to facilitate the transition to the online process following enactment of New Revenue Act.
The registration of agricultural lands had commenced in October with the launch of Dharani portal, a single-window for all property transactions.
Meanwhile, the state government on Monday filed a petition in the High Court to vacate the stay on seeking Aadhaar details of all property owners for Dharani system.
The government, in its petition, argued that it can seek Aadhaar details in case of cultivable lands as a subsidy scheme for such lands are under implementation.
The court asked the petitioners to submit their objections, if any, by December 31.