Help desk mandatory in land registration offices

BHUBANESWAR:After implementing a series of e-governance initiatives to bring transparency in maintenance of land records and provide hassle-free services including supply of accurate copies of Records of Rights (RoR) to the actual landowners, the State Government has decided to set up help desks in the district sub-registrar and sub-registrar offices.

“Establishment of help desk in all registration offices will be made mandatory. The proposed help desks will provide all assistance to the people coming for registration of landed property,” said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty. The decision has been taken as per the recommendation of the committee headed by Inspector General Registration (IGR).

The Minister said online submission of document for taking prior appointment for presentation and registration of document has been made mandatory. This will be applicable for transfer/transaction of land involving more than one tenth of an acre in municipal corporation area, more than one fourth of an acre in municipality area, more than half of an acre in notified area council (NAC) area and more than half of an acre of homestead land and two acres of agricultural land in rural area.

Noting that 16 registration services have been notified as public services under the Odisha Right to Public Services (ORTPS) Act, the Minister said a web-based format has been developed to monitor the monthly progress on delivery of registration services. The department has issued instruction to registering officers to publish a daily bulletin mentioning the number of cases disposed and pendency of cases beyond ORTPS time line. To improve the  delivery of services to the people, the department has already instructed registering officers to despatch RoR through speed post to person concerned after order is passed in mutation cases.

The Minister said biometric attendance has been made mandatory in all the registration offices to bring in discipline among the staff for providing timely delivery of services. The Government has decided to transfer employees who have completed three years of service in a particular registration office. It has also been decided to launch a massive public awareness campaign on e-governance initiatives including online registration, he added.