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Property registration at post offices

Monday, 14 September 2009 10:31 administrator
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The New Indian Express 14.09.2009

Property registration at post offices

Rajashekara S

 

BANGALORE: Paying for registering property transactions may get very easy in Karnataka. So easy that you can do it along with the sweets you wanted to post to your nephew, or during your weekly visit to the bank.

In what could be the biggest egovernment initiative yet, the Karnataka Stamps and Registration Department is considering roping in over 2000 post offices and an equal number of public sector banks across the state for property registrations. On a pilot basis, the department is planning to launch the facility in 75 post offices in Bangalore by next month. The department has been running the pilot project for the e-stamping initiative at four sub-registrar offices in the city, for about a year.

This new project means that those buying property will not have to go through the hassle of paying the registration fee and stamp duty at the sub-registrar’s office, through cash or demand drafts. A public sector undertaking, Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) would be in charge of keeping a centralised record of all e-stamping documents.

CRACKDOWN ON BENAMI REGISTRATIONS

The government will also gain from the expansion of the e-stamping initiative, as the unique identification number assigned to each transaction cannot be duplicated.

Inspector General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps, KR Niranjan, told Express that the department in association with SHCIL, is implementing e-stamping to put an end to illegal benami registrations and for plugging revenue leaks.

“The post offices have expressed interest and are waiting for a final approval by the state finance department, following which the matter would come up before the Cabinet for a final approval. This process should take about a month’s time,’’ he said.

POST OFFICES ASK FOR MORE

The postal department is seeking to charge customers extra for the e-stamping as it fears that the commission they get from the government would be negligible. The postal department wants to charge Rs 10 as an additional fee from customers for e-stamping denominations up to Rs 100, and Rs 15 for e-stamping denominations above Rs 100. This is in addition to 0.15 per cent commission per transaction, that post offices get from the government for the e-stamping.

Niranjan said that the government is considering the postal department’s request to allow it to collect the use-fee from customers.

Last Updated on Monday, 14 September 2009 10:47
 

City corporators to go for slum study

Monday, 14 September 2009 05:24 administrator
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The Times of India 14.09.2009

City corporators to go for slum study

Minati Singha, TNN 13 September 2009, 11:18pm IST

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to study and emulate ideal slum management practices, a 20-member team of delegates, including MLAs, corporators and slum-dwellers are on a week-long trip to major cities across the country. The delegates will be visiting, among other cities, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Housing and urban development minister Badri Narayan Patra said, "Like all urban centres, the fast growing number of slums has been a problem for cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur. So we have decided to learn and replicate the best practices initiated in public-private-partnership mode in rehabilitation, housing and other services in slums."

According to officials, while the city has 229 slums in 2004, the number has increased to 377, recording a growth rate of 78 per cent. The growing number of slums now has become the headache for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) as 281 slums about 75 percent are unauthorized and located in the heart of the city. Moreover, two new slums are adding to the capital every month with over 30 percent of the city's population living in these slums and the number is increasing by the day, according to a BMC survey.

"The people staying in slums also have the right to quality life and basic amenities and we cannot just throw them out. But at the same time, we cannot allow growth of slums along the major roads of cities. The state government will initiate development projects and give affordable homes for these people," Patra said.

The minister also said, "As part of our commitment to the High Court, we are rehabilitating the urban poor who were evicted from several parts of the city."

Leader of the delegation and Bhubaneswar Centre MLA Bijay Kumar Mohanty said, "There is no dearth of funds, but we must plan something that will be sustainable and will match to the growth of the cities."

 

Centre moves to put MCD under Delhi govt

Monday, 14 September 2009 05:16 administrator
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The Times of India 14.09.2009

Centre moves to put MCD under Delhi govt

Vishwa Mohan , TNN 14 September 2009, 01:49am IST

NEW DELHI: With Commonwealth Games 2010 fast approaching, the Centre has moved to reduce multiplicity of authorities in the city and bring the Municipal Corporation of Delhi under the control of the Delhi government. Once the opinion of the Delhi government on the move is received, a notification will be issued to make the transition formal.

With Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit having been an ardent proponent of not only bringing MCD under the city government, but also of trifurcation of the corporation, a positive response can be anticipated. The CM has often pointed to multiple authorities - mostly referring to MCD and DDA - to argue that her powers to address land and civic issues were limited.

If MCD is brought under Delhi government, the latter will have a leverage in the substantial budget - it was Rs 5,100 crore in the last financial year - that is allocated to the corporation. A say in notifying appointments, which are now done through the Lt Governor's office, will also give the government added clout.

The move to bring the civic body under Delhi government is bound to spark protests in the BJP-controlled corporation. Though unsaid, the politics of the move are fairly clear. Acting on the long-pending demand, the Union home ministry on Saturday sent a proposal to this effect to Delhi government seeking its final views.

Union home secretary G K Pillai told TOI: ``The ministry will issue the notification as soon as it gets Delhi government's comment. Once the notification is issued, the MCD will start functioning under the Delhi government.'' He also made it clear that the change would not require any amendment in the existing Act.

The MCD is the largest of three civic bodies in the capital. The other two are New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), both much smaller in terms of the areas they govern.

Explaining technicalities, officials in the ministry said that the move would make MCD's functioning more efficient as appointments, including that of the municipal commissioner, instead of being routed through the Lieutenant Governor, will now be issued by Delhi government.

Delhi government will discuss the issue at a cabinet meeting chaired by Dikshit on Monday. It is believed that the cabinet, besides discussing the implications of the home ministry's decision, will also take a view on its other long-pending demands, including control over DDA.

MCD, an elected body, does not enjoy much power due to Delhi being a union territory and comes under the Union home ministry, But its standing committee has a vital role in implementing projects within its jurisdiction and appointments of officers in various municipal zones.

The Congress, which has been accusing the civic body of inefficiency and also for being unresponsive to the civic needs of the city, is expected to term the home ministry's decision as a victory for the Dikshit government.

Sources in the home ministry said that the need to prepare the city for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in October 2010 acted as a trigger to take the decision at this juncture.

Before sending its note to Delhi government, the officials also took note of various recommendations of the two committees - one led by Ashok Pradhan and the other by Omesh Saigal ^ both of whom submitted their reports on functioning and jurisdiction of the civic body in November, 2006.

While the Pradhan committee recommended various steps to remove multiplicity of authorities in Delhi, the Saigal panel looked into ways of restructuring MCD. The cue to bring MCD under Delhi government was taken from the Pradhan Committee which also suggested that the civic body should confine its functioning to core activities and cede functions relating to hospitals and schools to the Delhi government.

The other recommendations of the Pradhan Committee include:

* MCD commissioner be appointed by the Delhi government instead of the Centre;

* A separate department of local self-government be set up in Delhi government to coordinate the affairs of local bodies;

* Geographical boundaries of MCD, DDA, police and revenue districts be co-terminus;

* The offices of revenue districts be strengthened and the district deputy commissioner be able to exercise control over all functionaries of revenue administration, field agencies of different government departments, district/zonal level functionaries of Delhi Jal Board, transport, DDA and even MCD.
 
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