GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
DIRECTORATE OF REGISTRATION AND STAMP REVENUE
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
The earliest record of systematic registration in this Presidency is found in the
“Rule, Ordinance and Regulation” passed in council on 9th January, 1781 and registered in
the Supreme Court of Judicature in Bengal on 1st February, 1781 for establishing certain
regulations “for the better management of the affairs of the East India Company as well in
India as in Europe.” The objects of this Regulation of 1781 were to supply the want of
registry of houses, lands and estates within that settlement and to prevent fraud. Mr.
Edward Tiretta was appointed the first surveyor and was entrusted with the duties as a
surveyor and Registrar of lands, houses etc. in the settlement and also as a Registrar of the
memorials of deeds affecting such lands etc.
By subsequent legislation, these duties have been separated and the Directorate
of Registration and Stamp Revenue controls and supervises the registration offices of the
State under Judicial Department upto 1993 with the help of a band of officers in different
hierarchy for registration of the deeds and for maintaining the records of transactions of
land and estates in the State of West Bengal.
The Directorate of Registration and Stamp Revenue is under the administrative
control of the Finance Department since l993 and collects revenue in the shape of stamp
duties and registrations fees for the State Exchequer. Since the introduction of the concept
of the market value in l994 replacing the age old idea of consideration, the collection of
revenue is mopped up every year raising the Directorate to the second highest revenue
earning Directorate of the State.
ORGANISATIONAL SET‐UP:
The Inspector General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamp Revenue, West
Bengal is the Head of this Directorate. A senior member of the Indian Administrative Service
holds the post.
The following officers of the Directorate are to assist the Inspector General of
Registration and Commissioner of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal in the functioning of the
Directorate :
i) Additional Inspector General of Registration & Additional Commissioner of
Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
ii) Joint Commissioner of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
iii) Joint Inspector General of Registration, West Bengal
iv) Deputy Inspector General of Registration (HQ), West Bengal
v) Deputy Commissioner of Stamp Revenue (Legal), West Bengal
vi) Assistant Commissioner of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
The members of the West Bengal Registration and Stamp Revenue Service on the
basis of seniority‐cum‐merit are appointed to the above posts.
vii) Deputy Commissioner of Stamp Revenue (Audit)/Joint Commissioner of
Stamp Revenue (Audit);
This single post is held by a member of the State Audit &
Accounts Service, West Bengal
viii) Administrative Officer
ix) Special Officer (Computerization) [post sanctioned by Fin(Rev.) Deptt.]
x) Personal Assistant to the Inspector General Of Registration &
Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
Additional District Sub‐Registrar/Sub‐Registrar :
Additional District Sub‐Registrar/Sub‐Registrar holds the office in a sub‐
district, which is equal to the jurisdiction of one or more police stations. Every document
relating to immovable property can be presented for registration in the office of an Addl.
District Sub‐registrar/Sub‐registrar within whose sub‐district the whole or some portion of
the property, to which such document relates, is situated.
The Registering Officers posted in such offices or in the district as has been
stated in the organizational set‐up are the members of the West Bengal Registration and
Stamp Revenue Services recruited through Group ‘A’, West Bengal Civil Services and Certain
Other Allied Services Examination conducted by Public Service Commission, W. Bengal. The
main functions of such Registering Officers are to register the documents under Registration
Act, 1908. The ADSRs/SRs are the Heads of their offices and they are also the drawing and
disbursing officers for the members of the staff of their offices.
Directorate of Registration and Stamp Revenue, West Bengal is one of the oldest directorate under Government of West Bengal. Earlier the directorate was known as the Directorate of Registration. It was redesignated at its present form in the year 1994. As per available information, the earliest record on systematic registration in Presidency Division was started on 01.02.1781. Mr. Edward Tiretta was first appointed for a salary of one thousand sicca as registrar of memorials of deed affecting lands.
Initially the directorate was under the administrative control of Education Department. Later on it was moved under the administrative control of Judicial Department of Government of West Bengal. It has been working under administrative control of Finance Department of Government of West Bengal since 1993.
Since its inception in the British period, the directorate has been providing service to the people at all levels. It has taken several initiatives so as to provide better service to the people as well as to strengthen the exchequer. Among those, probably the two most important initiatives are – introduction of the concept of market value for calculating the amount of stamp duty chargeable on instruments relating to immovable properties, and implementation of Computerization of Registration of Documents (CORD) under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP).
The concept of market value for calculating the amount of stamp duty chargeable on instruments relating to immovable properties was introduced in the year 1994. Prior to that there was no concept of assessment of market value of the properties involved in the instrument. The amount of stamp duty chargeable on instrument relating to immovable properties was calculated on the basis of consideration value. It was noticed by the Government that there were so many cases that the amount of consideration as stated in the instrument were either much lower than the actual amount of consideration or the amount of actual consideration was lower than the true value of the property due to several reasons. This was leading to evasion of stamp duty and registration fees and thereby a huge loss to exchequer. To overcome this difficulty the government introduced the concept of market value for calculating the amount of stamp duty chargeable on instruments relating to immovable property. Here, the Registering Officer has been relied upon to assess the market value of immovable property involved in the instrument and thereby determining the stamp duty and registration fees chargeable on that instrument. It has increased the revenue earnings of the directorate to a great extent, from Rs 196 crores in the year 1994-95 to Rs 2905 crores (approx) in the year 2011-2012.
In this connection, it should be mentioned that Directorate of Registration and Stamp Revenue is not only the 2nd highest revenue generating directorate of Government of West Bengal, but also one of the front runners in terms of rate of growth in revenue earnings.
The another very important initiative taken up by the directorate is the implementation of Computerization of Registration of Documents (CORD) under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). The project was initiated in the year 1999 on experimental basis. Later on a pilot study was initiated in the year 2003. As the pilot was successful, the new system is being introduced then in a phased manner. It has enhanced the serviceability of the directorate to the common citizen to a very large extent.
It is really a pleasure to share the information that the directorate has got two awards at national level as recognition for successful implementation of Computerization of Registration of Documents (CORD) under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP).
The directorate feels happy to announce that this is the beginning of a journey of the directorate in the new era. It is putting continuous effort to improve the new system further so that certain services may be provided to citizen at their doorsteps in near future.
Vision, Mission and objective of the project .
Vision –
1. The computerization of Registration Offices in West Bengal is designed to eliminate the shortcomings of the conventional registration system and to improve citizen services by making them quicker, friendlier and transparent by re-engineering Department's process as well as to build capacity of the members of the staff and to streamline the monitoring capability of the project team and infrastructure through the use of e-governance tools.
2. The Directorate will also implement on registration mutation very soon under National Land Records Modernisation Programs (NLRMP).
This Program is jointly under taken with Land and Land Reforms Department, Govt. of West Bengal.
Mission -
Improved and prompt citizen services through e-governance in registration.
Objectives –
Improving the quality of services to the citizens,
To introduce transparency in determination of the market value of the property through CORD software, as the market value of all plots under the jurisdiction of the registration offices are inbuilt in the system;
Complete replacement of manual records through the introduction of a sophisticated imaging system;
Replacement of current manual system of indexing, endorsement, accounting and reporting. Tedious back office functions as automatic;
Introduction of biometric, web camera and signature pad for capturing thumb impression, photographs and signatures
Seamless integration of all related system;
Post registration functionalities like searching of deeds and printing of certified copies.
Introduction of e-Stamping to facilitate payment of Stampduty,Registration fees and Mutation fee through internet banking and over the counter mode at Bank.
Introduction of Queue Managment System in all the offices in a phased manner with SMS Service.
As a whole the goal is to provide SMART governance to the registrant people by the application of Information and Communication Technology.
Directorate of Registration and Stamp Revenue is headed by Inspector General Of Registration and Commissioner of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal . A senior member of the Indian Administrative Service hold the post.
Other posts at the Directorate are :
(1) Additional Inspector General Of Registration & Additional Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
(2) Joint Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
(3) Joint Inspector General Of Registration, West Bengal
(4) Deputy Inspector General Of Registration (HQ), West Bengal
(5) Deputy Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue (Legal), West Bengal
(6) Assistant Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
All the above posts are held by the members of the West Bengal Registration and Stamp Revenue Service on the basis of the seniority-cum-merit.
(7) Deputy Commissioner of Stamp Revenue (Audit)/Joint Commissioner of Stamp Revenue
(Audit) :
This single post is held by a member of the State Audit &
Accounts Service, West Bengal
(8) Administrative Officer
(9) Personal Assistant to the Inspector General Of Registration & Commissioner Of Stamp Revenue, West Bengal
Other Posts of the West Bengal Registration and Stamp Revenue Service
Name of Post Sanctioned Strength Present Strength
DIGR Range 12 11
District Registrar 21 13
District Sub-Registrar 26 26
Addl. Dist. Sub-Registrar 194 194
Sub-Registrar 14 14
There are 12 Range Deputy Inspector General Of Registration in the whole of West Bengal with the jurisdiction of one or more district .
Range
Headquarters Jurisdiction
I Alipore, District: South 24 Pgs. South 24 Parganas & Kolkata
II Barasat, District: North 24 Parganas North 24 Parganas & Nadia
III Chinsurah, District: Hooghly Hooghly & Howrah
IV Burdwan, District: Burdwan Burdwan
V Medinipur, District: Paschim Medinipur Paschim Medinipur & Purba Medinipur
VI Berhampore, District: Murshidabad Murshidabad
VII Malda, District: Malda Malda
VIII Jalpaiguri, District: Jalpaiguri Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling
IX Bankura, District: Bankura Bankura & Purulia
X Raiganj, District: Uttar Dinajpur Uttar Dinajpur & Dakshin Dinajpur
XI Suri, District: Birbhum Birbhum
XII Coochbehar Coochbehar
The main functions of these DIGRs is to inspect the registration offices in his range and act as Collector under sec.47A of the Indian Stamp Act,1899. Members of the public may prefer an appeal to the DIGR concerned, if they do not agree with the market value of the property which is the subject matter of a particular document, determined by the District Sub-Registrar/Additional District Sub-Registrar /Sub-Registrar concerned.
REGISTRAR OF ASSURANCES, KOLKATA :
Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata has a separate establishment at 5 & 6, Government Place (North), Kolkata-1. Under sec.30A of the Registration Act,1908, R.A., Kolkata may receive and register any document referred to in sec.28 of the Registration Act, 1908 without regard to the situation of the property in any part of West Bengal to which the document relates. Under sec.30B of the said Act, R.A., Kolkata enjoys power in registration of mortgage deeds and reconveyance deeds in connection with house-building advances of Govt. employees without regard to the situation of the property in any part of India outside the State of West Bengal except J&K.
E-REGISTRATION
e-Registration is a part of e-Governance initiatives taken up by Government of West Bengal under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). It is the application of electronic means, specifically Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in the interaction between the government and citizens as well as in internal government operations so as to provide document registration and related services in improved and simplified manner.
The socio economic conditions of the developed countries differ very much from those prevailing in the developing countries of the world. As a result, ideas for sustainable development have emerged to facilitate in planning theories and practice in the decades ahead. In the process of social and economic betterment, the developed countries are much ahead to render citizen centric services through the use of I.C.T..
So the developing countries can not lag far behind and had embraced the e-Governance policies in order to reach the goal of sustainable development and to be at par with developed countries. The Registration and Stamp Revenue Directorate of West Bengal embraced that aims of the State to reach beyond current efforts to re-establish governance by identifying breakthrough strategies that re-think the core value of key-Government services, improve service delivery, reduce costs and re-define administrative process.
Stamp duties appear to have been first imposed on instruments in India in 1797 and the present Stamp Act of 1899 is a fiscal measure enacted to secure revenues for the State on certain classes of instruments. The Registration Act and Stamp Act are made interlinked and the Registering Officers are entrusted to collect such revenue under different articles of Schedule 1A of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and the registration fees are collected under the Table of Fees of West Bengal Registration Rules, 1962. Prior to 1994 such duty and fees were collected on the consideration/set forth value in the instruments. On 31st January, 1994 West Bengal Stamp (Prevention of Under-Valuation of Instruments) Rules, 1994 has been implemented and the registering officers are told to determine the market value of the properties which are the subject matter of the deed of sale, gift, exchange, partition, settlement and certain other classes of instruments.
The collection of revenue in the form of stamp duties and registration fees for the State Exchequer grew from Rs. 236 crores in 1994-95 to Rs.1501.31 crores in the financial year of 2008-2009.
The responsibility of the Registering Officers has become much more onerous as they are supposed to guard against drainage of revenue by determining proper market value of the properties and at the same time, he is to remain alert that the assessment made by him is proper, justified and transparent in every respect. The citizens should not be victim of arbitrariness for reasons beyond control of the Registering Officers. He has to maintain a balance in the application of his mind most judiciously to prevent loss of revenue of the State and at the same time to make due and proper justice to the citizens.
This Directorate keeps watch upon such activities of the Registering Officers (ARA-I,II & III,DSR, ADSR & SR) through the DIGR- Ranges , Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata and District Registrars of the districts.
a) Upgradation and Modernization of Infrastructure : Office space in the Directorate is not sufficient for the accommodation of all the members of the staff. It is not congenial for controlling the functions and management of the offices under its control all over the State from the existing office.
Most of the registration offices in the State are functioning in rented buildings which are old, dilapidated in many cases and unfit to cope with the upgradation and modernization of offices. As such the Directorate has taken steps to shift such offices to better buildings available in the locality. For this purpose we have classified the offices in three categories considering the volume of works performed in such offices and looking for the space required for the offices according to its category. Since 2004-2005, it has been possible to shift a good number of offices to better accommodation. The Govt. has also incurred expenditure towards reconstruction and renovation of the Govt. buildings to make such building suitable for the computerization.
b) Use of franking machines : The use of franking machines for payment of stamp duty has been introduced under Finance Deptt. no. 563-FT dt. 25.2.2002 for franking impression of different kinds of stamps either by proper officers or by the Authorized Users. We have authorized Centurion Bank,. Standard & Chartered Bank, Alliance Bajaj Ltd., among others till date 54 different financial institutions have been authorized to frank their documents.
c) National Land Records Modernization Programme : The Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India has sponsored a scheme in the shape of National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) with the ultimate goal of ushering in the system of conclusive title of the property in the country like Torrent System of Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., the USA, the Switzerland, Canada and Singapore. The integrated programme would modernize the management of land records, minimize scope of land disputes, enhance transparency in the land records maintenance system.
This is based on four basic principles -
i) a single window to handle land records;
ii) the mirror principle,
iii) the curtain principle and
iv) title insurance.
Under this programme the following components and activities of Registration Directorate have also been included:-
i) Computerization of the Sub-Registrar's office;
ii) Data Entry of valuation details;
iii)Data Entry of Legacy Encumbrance Data;
iv)Scanning and Preservation of old documents, .
v) Connectivity of Registration Offices with BL & LRO offices.
COMPUTERIZATION OF REGISTRATION OFFICES :
State Govt. started computerization of registration offices on 1st January, 2001 and in the process 11(eleven) such offices, one at Bidhannagar, two in Kolkata, five at Alipore and three at Barasat were computerized in a phased manner. Even in such computerized offices, the market values of the properties are determined by registering authority manually. In order to remove all such difficulties, to render better services to the registrant public and preserve valuable records by scanning through computers, the State Govt. has undertaken to roll out a programme with the aim of spreading the benefits of e-governance to citizens in all parts of the State. For this purpose the offices of ADSR, Srirampur and Chandannagar, Janai, Singur and Chinsurah Sadar in the district of Hooghly had been fully computerized under the pilot project and the market value of the properties in those offices are now determined automatically through the market value software. The Directorate has started to replicate the experience of the pilot project to remaining 233 registration offices across the state. State-wide roll out of the project involves enormous investment and massive volume of work. So the rolls out project are being implemented in Public Private Partnership model. Accordingly M/s. WTL, M/s. CMS Computers Ltd and M/s. CMC Ltd. had been selected as the private partners for Presidency, Burdwan and Jalpaiguri zones respectively through the evaluation of Request For Proposal. Deptt. of Information Technology, Govt. of India had also approved the project for roll-out in the whole of West Bengal . Pricewaterhouse Coopers was engaged as the consultant of this project temporarily. 229 registration offices have been fully computerized within the financial year 2009-2010. The Registration Directorate has come a long way through tiding over numerous difficulties and uncountable number of hazards, pushing inch by inch ahead to register such progress. A State Level Monitoring Committee was constituted to monitor the project where as the District Level Monitoring Committee supervise the programme within the District.
Vision, Mission and objective of the project .
Vision – The computerization of Registration Offices in West Bengal is designed to eliminate the shortcomings of the conventional registration system and to improve citizen services by making them quicker, friendlier and transparent by re-engineering Department's process as well as to build capacity of the members of the staff and to streamline the monitoring capability of the project team and infrastructure through the use of e-governance tools.
Mission - Improved and prompt citizen services through e-governance in registration.
Objectives –
Improving the quality of services to the citizens,
To introduce transparency in determination of the market value of the property through CORD software, as the market value of all plots under the jurisdiction of the registration offices are inbuilt in the system;
Complete replacement of manual records through the introduction of a sophisticated imaging system;
Replacement of current manual system of indexing, endorsement, accounting and reporting. Tedious back office functions as automatic;
Introduction of biometric, web camera and signature pad for capturing thumb impression, photographs and signatures
Seamless integration of all related system;
Post registration functionalities like searching of deeds and printing of certified copies.
As a whole the goal is to provide SMART governance to the registrant people by the application of Information and Communication Technology.
For details of service profile / structure- go to the attachment.