Sukhbir orders checking of under valued registration of properties in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab on Tuesday took a serious note of under valuation of properties being done by revenue authorities in the field for the purpose of paying stamp duty.

Badal flanked by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Member Parliament from Bathinda , while reviewing the development programmes of four districts here today asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue Mrs. Romila Dubey to issue instructions to the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the data with regard to the entire land/urban property along with the collector rates was fed in the software within one month so as to check the exercise of discretion in application of collector rates and the type of land/property. He instructed that all registries from October 1, 2009 onward be done only as per computers fed rates.

He said that due to non-feeding of collector's rates and property details in the computer, the exercise of discretion leads to under valuation and corruption. Badal said that some times registering authorities impound the properties leading to harassment to the concerned parties and also leaving scope for leakages of government revenue.

Dubey informed the Deputy Chief Minister that revenue department has created a new software PRISAM-4 to make provision for entry of every parcel of land (Khasra Numbers) or urban properties in the software. She informed that would take care before the registration of the documents that the value of the property being registered was at par with the collector rates already fed in the computers. She said that instructions have been issued that in respect of Urban properties, the Registering Officers would not register documents unless the same was accompanied by relevant revenue record if applicable, a map of the property and a valuation certificate issued by a registered architect.

Badal said that instructions should be issued to all Deputy Commissioners to ensure that registries were done by the Registering Officers in accordance with the collector rates and in the case of any doubt, the documents should be impounded and referred to the collector for determination of value of the property concerned.

Taking seriously the feedback regarding under valuation of some properties by registering authorities for a consideration causing loss to revenue of the state, Badal asked Deputy Commissioners to conduct cross audit of suspected registries and in the case of under valuation, take strict departmental as well as criminal action against the erring officials.

The Commissioners of the Divisions have been instructed to review the progress of data feeding in the computers and send a report to the government.