HC Directs Placing Complaint Boxes at Sub-registrar Offices

Hyderabad: To put a check on errant officials and to streamline the registration process, the Telangana High Court directed the state government and the inspector-general, stamps and registration, to set up complaint/grievance boxes in every sub-registrar office.

Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar directed that the complaint boxes have to be placed in a conspicuous place to ensure that the aggrieved party can drop complaints about the problems they faced in the sub-registrar’s office.

Authorities higher to the sub-registrar shall initiate an enquiry and examine each and every complaint and grievance submitted by the public and take appropriate action in accordance with law.

Further, the court directed the commissioner and IG of registration and stamps to periodically check on how the complaint/grievance boxes are being maintained and initiate action against erring officers as per the complaints made by the people. The court also issued instructions to complainants to maintain a copy of the complaint for future reference.

Justice Shravan Kumar issued these directions amid concerns at the growing corruption practices adopted in registration offices.

Despite the earlier orders of the court not to orally reject registration of any document and to maintain a watch registrar or general diary to make entries of the parties approaching the office on a particular date and time and the purpose for which they approached the office, the sub-registrar offices are not following it.

Petitioners brought to the notice of the court that document writers, were, on behalf of the officers, demanding more bribes for going the registration process. They refused to place the documents before the sub-registrar, even though the court had directed sub-registrars not to orally reject registrations and also give reasons for rejection in writing.

When the court asked about one complaint in which he alleged that there was demand for Rs.2 lakh bribe for registration of a plot document belonging to Kondapur, the joint sub-registrar -1 of Rangareddy district appeared before the court and submitted that he was on leave and he had come with proof that his leave was granted by the district registrar.

Justice Shravan Kumar called for further streamlining of the registration process and bringing down corruption at registration offices.