Thiruvananthapuram: Registration minister G. Sudhakaran on Thursday said that the government would reconsider its widely-hailed decision to allow individuals to register the deed without the help of document writers. "It was not a political decision, but taken at the level of officials. The government would look into it," he told reporters here, much to the relief of the protesting writers.
The decision ending the monopoly of some 3,000 writers followed widespread complaints of overcharging. While the maximum permitted fee was only Rs 7,500, they had been demanding exorbitant amounts. Document writing involved a lot of complexities and hence, they say it would not be an easy task for individuals without the assistance of those familiar with the procedures.
Also, any mistake could lead to its rejection by the sub-registrar, which could waste stamp papers. "So their relevance may not fade away with the new decision," said a real estate dealer. "Though individuals are legally permitted to present their cases before a court without engaging a lawyer, only a few are doing it for legal complexities involved. Similarly, for preparing all major deeds, individuals would continue to use the services of document writers," said city-based lawyer Unnikrishnan M.
Registration department sources said the new norms have already come into effect. Either the executor or claimant of a deed could register with the new rule. There will be no change in the procedure for registration. Already many states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are permitting it.
