NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, SEPT 9
The Gujarat government on Wednesday said it will amend the Registration Act, 1908, to curb instances of illegal transfer of land and properties by fraudulent means or by use of force.
A Bill proposing some major changes in the existing Registration Act will be tabled in the Assembly session, starting September 21, an official release said.
As per the proposed provisions, anyone found guilty of trying to illegally grab land and property through bogus documents or by using threat or force will be sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment along with a penalty equivalent to the market price of the property, it said.
To make the property registration process more people-friendly, it is proposed that common citizens, without taking the help of lawyers or document makers, can directly register their properties online using a draft document.
To stop land mafias from grabbing land by producing bogus documents or power of attorney during registration, it is now proposed that landowners must produce various documents to prove that they are the bona fide owners, the release said.
For agricultural land, the owner will be required to produce documents like 7/12 extract and the property card issued by the city survey office, it said.
Moreover, approval from a competent officer has been made mandatory if a piece of land belongs to the Centre or state government or owned by any government authority, the release added.
