The North News
Chandigarh, July 21
The Punjab government has instructed all Deputy Commissioners to take immediate steps to curb corruption in the land deed registration process across the state. The move comes as part of a wider push for transparency following the rollout of the “Easy Registration Project” in Mohali, which aims to simplify property transactions and prevent bribery. The state now plans to expand the model to all districts.
In a letter issued on 21 July, the Department of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management directed district officials to engage directly with deed writers, typists and property dealers at sub-registrar offices to identify potential corrupt practices. Officials were also told to issue formal warnings that demanding bribes in the name of government officers would result in strict legal action.
To increase accountability, sub-registrars and joint sub-registrars have been instructed to ask citizens at the time of registration whether anyone demanded money unofficially. Citizens are being made aware that all registration-related charges are available in advance through WhatsApp and the NGDRS (National Generic Document Registration System) portal.
Deputy Commissioners have also been asked to personally contact at least five percent of citizens who register documents each day to verify whether any irregularities occurred. “All cases where demand of money is confirmed must be acted upon strictly and reported to the department without delay,” the circular from the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) said. The state government says the measure is aimed at rebuilding public trust and ensuring clean governance at the grassroots level.
