The property registration department has sent a proposal to the state government to shift nine of the 27 property registration offices in the city to new locations following complaints from citizens regarding inadequate space and lack of proper facilities like washrooms.
These nine offices are in Hadapsar, Wadgaonsheri, Vishrantwadi, Khadi Machine Chowk, Karvenagar, Chinchwad, Pimpri and Erandwane. State registration department officials said they have already found properties in these areas and are in communication with the municipal corporations regarding the same.
Joint district registrar Santosh Hingane said the new offices would be set up in the same areas. “However, the criteria for the offices are that they have to be around 2,000sqm, with washroom facility and preferably on the ground floor,” he told . Earlier, revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had directed the property registration officials to revamp the old offices.
Citizen activist Shrikant Joshi said it was the government’s responsibility to provide adequate facilities at all property registration offices. “All sub-registrar offices should at least be 5,000sqm with facilities like washrooms and drinking water. They should be on the ground floor,” he said.
Another activist, Chandrakant Phartale, said he has been demanding shifting of the property registration offices from the first floor to the ground floor for the convenience of senior citizens.
Almost 11 years ago, the state government had sanctioned around Rs45 crore for upgrading the basic facilities at these offices across the state. Even though these offices have been revamped but most of them lack basic facilities. “There is no token system in place and there is a rush at most offices,” said Sharada Bankar, a Kothrud resident referring to the Karvenagar registration office, which is on the first floor.
The initiative will include the provision for proper space for storage of documents, proper space hangers, a waiting area and toilet facilities for visitors. Besides, steps are being initiated to replace all existing hardware in these offices with the latest ones, said an official.
Registration department officials said the online tenant verification, which is integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems, will help reduce footfall at police stations. “It was operational before Covid, however, it is yet to re-start at all police stations,” an officer of the police department said.