IGR Proposes Mandatory Aadhaar Verification For Property Registration In Maharashtra

The Inspector General of Registration and Stamps (IGR) has proposed making Aadhaar verification mandatory for property registration in Maharashtra. If approved by the state government, buyers and sellers will have to complete Aadhaar authentication while registering the sale or purchase of land, residential flats and commercial properties.

According to a news report by the Hindustan Times, officials have stated that the proposal was submitted to the Maharashtra government on Monday. The move follows several recent cases of fraudulent property transactions, including alleged government land scams, that exposed gaps in the existing registration process.

At present, linking Aadhaar during property registration is optional. The Registration and Stamps Department believes that making Aadhaar authentication compulsory will strengthen identity verification, improve transparency, and reduce the scope for fraud involving forged documents and impersonation, stated the news report.

Existing System Under Scrutiny

Maharashtra records lakhs of property registrations every year, making property registration an important source of revenue for the state. Under the current system, sub-registrars can complete registrations even when Aadhaar is not linked by using a "skip" option available in the registration software.

Investigations into recent land scam cases have reportedly found that this provision has been misused to facilitate fraudulent registrations. The absence of mandatory Aadhaar verification had, in some cases, allowed fake Aadhaar cards to be used during the registration process, the officials expressed.

To address these concerns, the department has proposed removing the "skip" option altogether. If the proposal is approved, Aadhaar authentication will become compulsory for every property transaction before registration can be completed.

Legal Amendments Required

The proposal needs to be amended in the Maharashtra Registration Act for implementation. The Registration and Stamps Department has put forward a comprehensive proposal to the government of the state, seeking approval for the necessary legal changes that are required.

If implemented, Aadhaar verification will become a mandatory step for all kinds of property sale and purchase registrations across Maharashtra. Until then, Aadhaar linking will continue to stay optional under the existing rules.