Tamil Nadu: Register property documents anywhere from August 17

CHENNAI: In a major digital governance initiative, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (July 7) announced that contactless online registration of select property documents will become mandatory across the State from August 17, a move aimed at reducing footfall at Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) by nearly 30% while making registration services faster and more transparent.

Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister D Logesh Tamilselvan, during a review meeting with senior Registration Department officials in Nandanam, said the "Anywhere Registration" facility would initially be made mandatory for the first sale of plots and apartments, enabling citizens to complete the registration process online without visiting SROs.

"People can submit documents from anywhere at any time through the registration department's portal. The initiative will reduce crowding in registration offices, cut waiting time and improve the efficiency of public service delivery," he said.

Under the new system, builders and developers will be required to create dedicated logins on the portal to upload documents, furnishing details of buyers, sellers and witnesses, along with Aadhaar credentials. The identity verification will be carried out through UIDAI-approved biometric fingerprint or iris authentication.

If additional information is required, applicants can submit the details online within 30 days. Registered documents bearing the Sub-Registrar's digital signature and payment receipts will be issued online either on the same day or the next working day. It can be downloaded for up to 60 days.

Logesh said the government had amended the Registration Act, 1908, and framed new rules to provide legal validity to online registrations. A dedicated help centre would be established to assist users, while internet connectivity, a UIDAI-approved biometric device, iris scanner and webcam would be required to complete the process.

He also said the government had undertaken administrative reforms in the Registration Department after assuming office. Transfer orders had been issued for 259 Sub-Registrars, filling 249 vacant Sub-Registrar posts and 10 administrative positions through a transparent, merit-based process. He said that officials had been directed to process registrations without delay and hand over registered documents on time.