Two more Sub-Registrars suspended

Anywhere online registration abolished

Hyderabad: Taking serious note of the illegal registration of government and private lands valued at more than Rs 10,000 crore in the state capital, the government on Tuesday suspended Balanagar Sub Registrar Mohammed Yousuf and Medchal Sub Registrar Ramesh Chandra Reddy and registered criminal cases against them. Kukatpally Sub Registrar R Srinivas Rao was arrested on Monday.

It also ordered CID probe into the scam and abolished the ‘anywhere online registration system’ across the state with immediate effect.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao conducted a high-level review on the status of the case with top officials of Stamps and Registration and Police departments at Pragathi Bhavan. The CID has been asked to conduct a thorough probe into the Miyapur land registration scam.

Another major decision taken at the meeting was the Special discretionary powers given to the Registrars and Sub Registrars under Section 47-A (determination of market value) have been withdrawn

KCR has also instructed ACB officials to keep a close vigil on the activities in the Sub registrar offices across the states and file criminal cases if anyone was found guilty irrespective of the position he holds, the Chief Minister said. KCR also instructed that the anywhere registration system would be abolished in the state forthwith and said that each Sub Registrar should register the properties under his jurisdiction only.

The Chief Minister said that not even a single square yard of land in Miyapur has gone into the hands of private persons. There is no truth in certain reports that the government land has gone into the hands of private persons. He expressed unhappiness and anger over the state of affairs in the Registration department and wanted an immediate action plan to eradicate corruption and clean up the system.

The CM said there is an apprehension among the people that unless they bribe registrations will not take place. “This situation should change and reforms should come in the Registration department. There is a need for total clean up, overhaul and if need be, prepare new guidelines and without spending even a rupee as bribe the registrations should take place,” the CM told officials.

The Chief Minister said, “To get loans from banks and other financial institutions, certain persons put government survey numbers and register the lands. Some officials have also colluded in this. The matter came to the notice of the government recently and on May 25, 2017, the registration was cancelled. Action is taken against the guilty and further action will also be taken against all those involved.

Registering government lands is illegal and such registrations are not accepted. The government land in Miyapur though registered there is no legality to it. The land is not transferred. The government land is very much under the government’s possession. Private persons used the Survey Numbers for registration to get loans. The land is not alienated and hence people should not worry,” he added.

KCR said that it has been found that there are about 20 per cent of such registrations and instructed the police to conduct raids on 141 Registration offices across the state, seize the documents, which are not uploaded. Following the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Police department has constituted Flying Squads for the purpose.

The squads would raid the Registration offices from Wednesday. Instructions have been given to the police to take immediate action against the irregularities. The police have registered criminal cases against the three accused.