Patna: Registration of land, plots and flats at registration offices across Bihar will become completely paperless from August 17, with the entire process—from preparation of deeds and payment of stamp duty to biometric verification and digital signatures—being carried out online.
After registration, a digital copy of the deed will be sent to applicants through WhatsApp or email, according to officials from the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department.
Paperless system to cover all 141 registration offices
Bihar has 141 registration offices. The paperless registration system was introduced in 10 offices in the first phase from July 11.
In the second phase, another 40 offices were brought under the system from July 30. The department is now targeting implementation of paperless registration in the remaining offices from August 17.
The move is expected to reduce paperwork, improve transparency and enhance the security of registration documents while also saving time for applicants.
Registration Department Secretary Navin Kumar reviewed the progress through a video conference with officials on Tuesday and issued necessary directions for the statewide rollout.
Home registration facility for citizens aged 75 and above
Kumar directed officials to provide doorstep registration facilities for citizens aged 75 years and above seeking to register land, plots or flats.
He also directed officials to accelerate implementation in districts where progress under the paperless registration system is below expectations. District magistrates may be asked to intervene, while explanations could be sought from officials found negligent in implementing the system.
Service providers to assist applicants
Licensed service providers have been assigned the responsibility of assisting citizens with the paperless registration process and monitoring the procedure.
Officials have also been directed to prepare plans to provide adequate seating facilities for applicants. The remuneration of service providers will be linked to the value of the document being registered.
For documents valued at up to Rs 1 lakh, service providers will receive Rs 1,000. The remuneration will be Rs 2,500 for documents valued up to Rs 5 lakh, while documents worth more than Rs 5 lakh will attract remuneration of Rs 5,000.
GIS technology to be used for site inspection
The department will also use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for site inspections during the registration process.
All district registration offices have been instructed to take necessary steps for implementing the GIS-based system. The technology is expected to make site inspections more systematic and transparent.
The statewide rollout is aimed at moving Bihar’s property registration system towards a faster, more secure and digitally driven process.
