Land registrations down to a handful

Land registrations down to a handful
The Times of India

Bangalore: A premium residential layout off Airport Road has been forced to put on hold registrations of its apartments. Most of the complex was actually ready and occupied for a while. Most registrations were also done. A few were pending, but these would now take a while because the sub-registrar’s office wants to scrutinise all the original documents related to the project’s land and layout again.

Across Bangalore, property registrations have virtually come to a standstill following the government order banning registration of property developed on agricultural land that has not been converted officially to non-agricultural land. According to sources, registration offices that used to see over 200 registrations a day now barely see a handful.

While there is support for the government order from across the spectrum of organised property developers and expert bodies, there is concern about the manner in which it is being implemented. J.C. Sharma, managing director of Sobha Developers, says the registration authorities lack clarity on the order: “It’s almost like a blanket ban. And they are asking unnecessary questions. They should be able to distinguish between legally done deals and the illegally done ones.”

B.M. Jayeshankar, president of the Karnataka Ownership Apartments Promoters Association (KOAPA) and managing director of the Adarsh Group, acknowledges the problem but is hopeful it will be addressed soon. “We have spoken to the government on this. The government thinks some documents are fabricated. So they want to check all that. We have also been told by the government that it is framing proper rules for conversion of land and that this process would be completed in about 15 days,” he says.

Notwithstanding this immediate issue, most expect the government order to have a positive impact on the real estate sector in the longer run. It is generally believed the order will put an end to the indiscriminate development of layouts, most without proper sanctions. “Many of the layouts I have seen are pretty sad. They are far from the main roads and without proper access from these roads, and provide narrow roads within the layout,” says a property consultant.

“Undesirable elements will face the heat. And customers will realise the importance of buying from good developers,” says Sharma.