Realtors protest, say move to mint money

VELLORE: The decision by the Commercial Taxes and Registration department to provide tatkal tokens in addition to daily tokens to expedite land registration has drawn flak from real estate dealers and others concerned, sources revealed.

The government order dated May 30 states that tatkal tokens, each costing Rs 5,000 would be issued based on the number of applications issued in sub-registrar (SR) offices daily. Normally a sub-registrar office issues 100 tokens a day starting from 10 am till 3 pm. While 20 tokens would be issued per hour, the amount would be halved between 1-1.30 pm and between 3-3.30 pm registration office sources said. Thus, an office handing out 100 tokens would be given 10 tatkal tokens at the rate of 2 per hour and 1 for each half-hour as stated above.

Sources revealed the idea was thought of as many registrants preferred to register land on auspicious days and even auspicious hours and were unable to do so during the provision of regular tokens. “Hence provision of such tatkal tokens at Rs 5,000 each was decided upon and the government also sanctioned the scheme,” sources revealed.

“The scheme will only help the rich as the poor will be unable to pay the extra amount even if they want to register on an auspicious day or hour,” said real estate dealer VS Boopalan.

Vellore district consumer federation president K Sathiyamoorthy was more blunt when he said “already with all functions related to registering of documents being made online, office staff have time to undertake additional land registrations. So why this haste in going for tatkal scheme, other than for raising additional funds for the government?” He also pointed out that there is a rider that those with tatkal tokens who fail to turn up at the allotted hour will lose their slot with the money not being refunded only emphasizes what I have stated above.”

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