Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In a major administrative and land record reform in Maharashtra, the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) and Controller of Stamps has launched a project to digitise legacy records dating back to 1865.
These records, which exist in physical form across the over 500 sub-registrar offices, microfilms and CDs, will be converted into a searchable digital format to ease land transactions through faster document searches and ensure transparency and ease of doing business.
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The total volume of the project will cover over 300 million pages of property-related documents, such as sale and purchase transactions, leave and licences, mortgage deeds, conveyance agreements, gift deeds and power of attorney.
“This is a move that will benefit the masses,” said Rajendra Muthe, Joint Inspector General of Registration. He added that at present, people had to make multiple visits to their offices to trace these documents, which was something that could take months. “These old records are also in poor condition. The digitisation project will ensure that people get good quality and authentic copies as against photocopies that are blurred,” noted Muthe.
Abhaysinh Mohite, Deputy Inspector General (IT), said some of these documents date to the time of the Registration Act, 1864, which was replaced by an act with a similar nomenclature in 1908. These legacy records have been preserved in the form of physical registers, microfilms and CDs, before a server-based model was introduced and now, cloud technology adopted by the department.
“These documents will be scanned and made available publicly. People will be able to get certified copies of these papers,” added Mohite. They will be put in the public domain and monetised. The work order for the project has been issued, and it will be launched in a month. The digitisation is expected to cost Rs 60 crore. The 300 million pages include 110 million that have been preserved in physical form, and around 190 million pages available in microfilms and CDs. The data will be uploaded on a cloud in Optical Character Reader (OCR) format.
Those who wish to get copies of these documents will have to pay Rs 100 for up to 20 pages, and Rs 2 per extra page, which is the same as the present rate for certified copies. This can be done digitally and will also do away with “intangible costs” such as hiring agents and go-betweens, and making repeated trips to sub-registrar offices for these papers. The wear-and-tear of these archival documents during handling will also reduce.
The department of registration and stamps is the second-largest contributor to the state exchequer after Goods and Services Tax (GST). In 2025-26, the department garnered revenues of Rs 61,816.81 crore, as against the target of Rs 63,500 crore. It has around 517 offices across the state.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
