Rental registration to go online

Mumbai: From the beginning of the next year, renting a new placewillbecome a simpler and cheaper task with the state government planning to rolloutits online registration process. Withtheimplementation of the newsystem,the paper workcan becompletedwithout a visitto a registration office, and at the same time, the amount often paid to agents for the process can alsobesaved. 

    The proposed launch of the online registration will be part of a reform to make revenue collection efficient as well as customer friendly and the state will first introduce it for leaveand-licence(L&L) agreements. 
    S Chockalingam, IG of registration and controller of stamps, said the plan would be implement within three months and the government hadstartedthe processof developing a secure portal for the transaction. "Arrangements are also being made so that stamp payments could be made simultaneously," he added. Besides being customer friendly, revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said, the move would also help decongest registration offices; L&L documents accounted for over 32% of the papers (69,000 out of 2,10,000) being registered in Mumbai in 2011-12. If the registration offices is no longer required to deal with the L&L documents, sale agreement registration process will getexpedited. 
    Flatowners andtenantswill havetwooptionsto go aboutthe procedure. They can either download the form from the Internet and fill the details themselvesor seekhelp at a state-run call centre. Those downloading the forms will require high-resolution web cams and biometric devices to take pictures and thumb imprints. It will also necessitate digital signatures of thetwo parties. "An onlinecopy of the registered document could be downloaded after the processiscompleted," Chockalingam added. 
    For thosewhowillseekhelp from a call centre, an authorized person, along with the gadgets required,willbesentto the tenants and landlords on a dayfixedby them. "An e-receipt will be issued as proof of transaction," Chockalingam said. The registered document could bedownloadedjustlikethefirst option. Withlimited manpower, the government will outsource the visit service. "Its tender process will begin next week when request for proposals is floated," Chockalingam said. While citizens would have to pay for the service, the government could lower the overall registration feefor onlinetransactions, an officialsuggested. AT THE CLICK OF A MOUSE 
    32% of all registered documents in 2011-12 in Mumbai were leave-and-licence agreements 
    In 2011-12, Mumbai saw 69,000 rental registrations, Pune 43,000 and Thane 12,500 How will the new system help? 
    The registration process for L&L agreements will go online, allowing people to apply from anywhere 
    With the need for visiting registration offices removed, the cost of registering the document will drop. The money paid to agents at registration offices will be saved 
    The process of registration will be expedited 
    Consequently, registration of sale deals at the offices will be faster 
Some points to ponder 
    It may take citizens a while before they are convinced that the e-system will work 
    The state will have to carefully choose the agency to which it will outsource the data gathering process