HYDERABAD: In order to revive the old procedure of provisional registrations of non-agricultural property in the state, on the request of the Telangana state government, the Telangana High Court on Thursday accorded permission for it to insist on the Property Tax Identification Number (PTIN) for registrations.
The court also agreed to the proposal to make it binding on local authorities like gram panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations and GHMC to provide PTIN to those those applicants who do not have one within two days of applying for the same.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, was dealing with petitions challenging the oral directions of the government insisting that Aadhaar and caste details of the property owners must be uploaded on Dharani portal.
The court had earlier issued interim orders against insisting on details for Dharani portal. However, the government, which stuck to its decision to register properties only through Dharani portal, did not resume registrations of
non-agricultural properties following the old procedure even after a lapse of three months, as holidays were declared for registration offices in order to introduce the portal.
Noticing the plight of property owners suffering due to the stoppage of registrations, the bench two days ago blamed the government for the situation. It had also made it clear that it never stopped any type of registrations in the state and asked the government to resume the old procedure of registration.
On Thursday, Advocate General B.S. Prasad informed court that the government was ready to revive registrations in the old procudre, but sought that provision of PTIN be made mandatory for registration of non-agricultural properties in the state. He gave an undertaking that no person will be forced to give Aadhaar, caste and family details. He said that registrations would commence under computer-aided registrations known as CARD, Computer-Aided Administration of Registration.
However, the government did not mention the type of non-agricultural property that needed PTIN, whether it is for constructed property or open lands. The government was however quiet on the two days times given to local authorities to provide PTIN to applicants who do not posses one and whether it shall be given to all types of property, including illegal constructions and constructions on restricted lands. At the same time, in recent GOs related to mutation of properties, the government mentioned that only no dues certificates from the local authorities and Electricity department were needed. The GOs were challenged before the court as interim applications.
The court adjourned the batch of petitions to December 16 directing the state government to file its counter affidavits by December 14 on the interim applications.
