MADURAI: The Agrofood Chamber has today welcomed the measures announced by Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Minister Mr.P.Moorthy for proactive reforms in document registration process in order to eradicate corruption.
On 28th June 2021, Agrofood Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mr.S.Rethinavelu has said in a press release that document registration process was always subjected to accusation of rampant corruption.
“From the day one, when Mr.P.Moorthy took charge as the Minister for Commercial Taxes
and Registration under the Chief Minister Mr.M.K.Stalin, he inspected and studied fully the document registration processes to introduce the required reforms,” the press release added.
Mr.Rethinavelu has said that the Agrofood Chamber welcomes the instructions given that applicants seeking
registration of documents should make payment of registration fee and service charges on-
line from their bank accounts only and not from the accounts of the document writers, which
is being practiced hitherto and the launch of a grievance cell to file complaints on phone,
Whats App and e-mail.
“These reforms would help the public, especially the uneducated
villagers, from being deceived to pay more fees than what was actually due.
The categorical announcement of the Minister that if a land in a particular Survey Number
had been registered for a value that was higher than the guideline value, for any reason, it
need not be binding on others buying land in the same Survey Number and the guideline
value should remain the benchmark is a landmark reform in the registration process and we
congratulate the Minister,” Mr.S.Rethinavelu had pointed out.
The press release had stated that with a view to get higher loan amount against the land documents from bank and other financial institutions, the registrants used to escalate the value of the land much higher than the guideline
value and register the documents. Thereafter anyone who wants to register a portion of land in
the same Survey Number has to pay registration fee as per the escalated value already
registered. This procedure was the source of corruption and the public particularly the farmers
were greatly affected.
“The Minister, who has understood the reality prevailing in the registration offices, has come
forward with proactive reforms to extend his hand to the Chief Minister in giving a clean and
corruption free administration,” the Agrofood Chamber press release had added.
