Mixed Response to AP's Registration Seva Kendras Plan
Document writers felt the reforms could affect their livelihoods and reduce the role they have traditionally played in the registration process
Vijayawada: The state government's proposal to establish Registration Seva Kendras (RSKs) under the public-private partnership (PPP) model has drawn mixed reactions, with some welcoming the move to simplify property registrations while document writers opposing it.
Document writers are expressing concern over this plan’s impact on their livelihoods and the accuracy of document processing.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the RSKs will be established on the lines of Passport Seva Kendras to provide document preparation and registration-related services under one roof. However, the government is yet to announce detailed operational guidelines.
Registration of property documents involves verification of legal ownership, scrutiny of records and confirmation of property measurements, often requiring the services of legal and technical professionals. Corrpt practices are rampant in registration offices, seriously hurting the money flow to the exchequer.
A registration official said applicants with basic digital literacy could prepare documents online, make corrections, pay registration fees electronically and book appointments at sub-registrar offices. However, many people continue to rely on document writers to avoid procedural errors and legal complications.
Document writers felt the reforms could affect their livelihoods and reduce the role they have traditionally played in the registration process.
According to the AP state document writers welfare association, around 15,000 to 20,000 property registrations are normally carried out every day through 295 sub-registrar offices across the state. The association claimed that the ongoing agitation had reduced registrations to only a few hundred a day, affecting government revenue.
Association president Venkata Subba Rao said property registration involved transactions worth lakhs and crores of rupees and any error in documentation could lead to legal complications. He said the association proposed proper planning before the centres became operational.
Another document writer, Sasi Kiran, claimed that nearly three lakh people, including document writers, DTP operators and assistants, depended on the registration ecosystem for their livelihood.
A retired employee, K. Veerababu, said that although he was capable of completing the online registration process himself, he preferred to engage a document writer to minimise the risk of errors in documentation or fee payment.