Patna: The Bihar government will introduce a new system from April 1 allowing applicants to obtain verified land ownership information before registering property documents, in an effort to reduce disputes related to land transactions.
The initiative is being jointly implemented by the registration department and the revenue and land reforms department. Under the new process, buyers and sellers will be able to request updated land ownership details while submitting documents for registration.
According to an official communication sent by the registration department to all district magistrates, applicants will be required to select a specific option on the e-registration portal seeking verification of land details.
Once the option is selected and the registration information is submitted, the concerned circle officer (CO) and revenue officer will receive a notification. They will then be required to verify the land details and upload the updated information on the portal within ten days.
If no response is provided within the stipulated period, the applicant’s submitted details will be treated as complete and the registration process will proceed.
Officials say the measure has been introduced to prevent disputes that often arise when land is registered without complete or verified ownership information. In many cases, buyers inadvertently register incorrect or disputed land due to incomplete records.
However, the new system is expected to increase the workload of zonal and revenue offices across the state.
Bihar has 141 registry offices where between 6,000 and 7,000 property documents are registered daily. During peak periods, the number can exceed 8,000 registrations a day.
Officials estimate that if even half of the applicants seek ownership verification through the new system, revenue offices may need to process nearly 4,000 verification requests each day.
To prepare for the rollout, integrated training will be organised for officials from both departments. The roles of circle officers and revenue officers will be central to the process.
Ajay Yadav, secretary of the registration department, has written to the revenue and land reforms department outlining the need for training on the new procedures. Authorities are also considering the creation of dedicated cells in zonal offices to manage the verification process.
Under the system, applicants will first create an account on the e-registration portal and log in to submit their details. They will then enter key information about the property, including the registry office name, zone and mouza, police station, account number, khasra and jamabandi numbers, land boundaries, total area, names of the buyer and seller, and the type of land.
After selecting the option to obtain updated land information, the details will be sent through the portal and via SMS to the concerned circle officer and revenue officer.
Following verification, the officials will upload the updated land ownership information on the portal within the prescribed ten-day period.
