Hyderabad: The loopholes in the system of land registration, building permission and mutation of lands are allowing encroachers to occupy government and private properties.
Recent police cases have shown that creating fabricated documents to register with the stamps and registrations department is the first step in encroaching land. The next step is taking the matter to court and submitting fake documents to get an order to get the land mutated. Using these two documents, approaching either the HMDA or GHMC for developing layouts is the final step before occupying the targeted land.
During a protest held by sub-registrars a decade ago, they had declared that they would register even archaeological monuments if the parties paid stamp duty. “The Indian Stamps Act doesn’t allow a sub-registrar to refuse registration of any document, but he can put a documen’'s registration on hold for some time. The cancellation of registrations is also not under his jurisdiction. Registration can be cancelled if there is understanding between the parties involved, or on the recommendation of the collector, or as per the orders of a court,” an official from the registrations department said.
Although revenue departments have land records the department allows mutation as per court orders. An official of the Chief Commissionerate of Land Administration said that junior staff used to collude with land grabbers and mutate land illegally. “We have introduced ‘Maa Bhoomi’ portal to overcome this and given tab PCs to VRO to MRO, RDO and DRO for mutating property. Now, we can track who is mutating the lands and why,” the official said.
GHMC commissioner said that as per rules, an affidavit by the applicant was enough for issuing building approvals. “As per SC directions we are not insisting on a title deed or NOCs from the revenue department.”
