Kadapa: After the eruption of the multi-crore fake challans scam in the stamps and registrations department, the state government on Monday addressed the root cause of the scam – and rectified the defective Centralized Funds Management System (CFMS) process.
Previously, the sub-registrars were unable to know what was the exact amount paid through challan in their systems. Only the challan number used to be displayed in their system. The amount used to be manually filled by them based on the challan copy given to them by the stamp writer.
From Monday onwards, an updated CFMS software is used. All the sub registrars and staff will directly know the challan number against the amount paid in bank. Sub-registrars and the office staff say they are happy with the correction of the flaws in the CFMS.
Based on the flaws in the software, a document writer with fake challans had swallowed the revenue of the registrations department to the tune of Rs 1.08 crore. The authorities have suspended two junior assistants, including three sub-registrars working at the Kadapa rural and urban registration offices in this connection.
It is explained that there are three types of challans to be paid for registration of a document. One is stamp duty, the second is registration charges and the third is user-charges. In the past these amounts were paid manually in banks through challans. Each challan will have a total of three copies, of which, one should be in the customer’s hand, the second to be sent to the concerned sub registrar office and the third copy to be kept for the bank’s reference.
Every evening, an employee from the sub-registrar's office would go to the concerned bank and find out the details of the paid challan. After noting this down at the bank, he would come to the office and compare them with the documents that are registered on that day. This process would not have caused any errors.
In the meantime, in 2018, the CFMS system of payment was introduced to the registration department. Under this system, customers can pay the challan amount through net banking in the CFMS system.
When a person pays the specified amount in CFMS through net banking, he will get a print copy of the challan number with 11 digits for the paid amount. Later, the document writer got a print copy of the challan and he produced to the registration office the respective registration documents. Later he has to produce the challan number with his documents.
Nowhere in the online systems of the sub-registrar's office was it known as to how much was paid as the sum of the challans. Only the challan number is visible.
The registration authorities verify the 11- digit challan number. If this is found correct, they will go for the next column. Then, the registration office staff will enter the amount that was written in the document writer's print copy, and this is produced for registration.
Automatically, the system will clear the document for registration. If the computer shows how much amount was paid by the document writer, it is possible to know if any discrepancies occurred or whether the print copy of challan was tampered with. Now, the registration office employees are concerned about how reasonable it is to hold them accountable for a mistake they made inadvertently.
A senior state official in the registration department told Deccan Chronicle that sub-registrars usually go to the CFMS website once every month and log in to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) account to check receipts. If they look at the receipts in the DDO account and see how much revenue was received through the registration challans in that month, they will come to know if there was a difference.
The actual amount deposited in the government treasury was known. However, it does not appear how much receipts have gone into the CFMS DDO account across the state since November 2020. This was also one of the reasons for the introduction of fake challans, the official said.
