The Maharashtra Inspector General of Registration (IGR) department has proposed making Aadhaar authentication mandatory for all property registrations in the state. The proposal has been submitted to the Maharashtra government for approval and is aimed at strengthening identity verification and reducing the risk of impersonation, forged documents and fraudulent property transactions.
The proposal follows a review of the property registration process after the Mundhwa land scam, along with recommendations from the Vikas Kharge committee and an internal assessment by the IGR department. Officials identified gaps in the existing identity verification process and have proposed Aadhaar-based authentication as an additional safeguard.
At present, Aadhaar authentication during property registration is optional in Maharashtra. The registration software allows sub-registrars to bypass the authentication process through a “skip” option. Under the proposed changes, this provision would be removed. Aadhaar authentication would therefore become a mandatory step before a property transaction could be registered.
Joint IGR Rajendra Muthe said that the recommendations had been submitted to the state government and were awaiting approval. The department has also indicated that the proposal cannot be implemented immediately because amendments to relevant laws and rules would be required.
Officials said the proposed measure is intended to address risks associated with identity fraud. According to the department, simply producing identity documents may not be sufficient where impersonation or forged documents are involved. Aadhaar authentication could provide an additional method of verifying the identity of parties involved in a transaction and generate a stronger audit trail.
The proposed change could have a significant impact given the scale of property transactions in Maharashtra. The state records nearly 50 lakh property registrations annually, making the Registration and Stamps Department one of the major revenue-generating departments of the state government.
The proposal is also expected to have implications for property buyers, sellers, developers and other participants involved in registration transactions. Mandatory authentication could add an additional verification step at registration offices while potentially improving the ability of authorities to identify irregular transactions.
The department’s objective is to strengthen verification at the registration stage rather than address fraudulent transactions after they have occurred. By establishing a stronger identity trail, officials believe suspicious or fraudulent transactions could be flagged or prevented before registration is completed.
The proposal has received support from property rights activists, who have said Aadhaar-based verification could help authenticate individuals and reduce the scope for fraudulent registrations. However, the final decision rests with the Maharashtra government, which must approve the proposed legal and procedural changes.
If approved, Maharashtra would move towards a more stringent identity verification framework for property registration. The measure could become an important step in strengthening safeguards around land and property transactions, particularly in a state with a high volume of registrations and substantial real estate activity.
