Maharashtra: Property card proposal still lacks recognition from state government

The proposal and rules for issuing property cards to flat owners in housing projects have been pending with the state government for six years

18 June 2024

Pune- The proposals and rules for issuing property cards to flat owners of housing projects have been pending with the state government for six years. As a property card is legal proof of personal ownership, it is increasingly getting attention from flat owners.

To prove the ownership of flats, the PMC only has a receipt of tax payment and a purchase and sale agreement available. The property card of the site on which the building is built only lists a housing society or apartment. It has the combined names of all the flat owners. Because of this, the Land Records Department prepared a proposal in 2019 to issue property cards to vertical buildings.

The proposal recommended providing a supplementary property card to each flat holder in addition to the main property card. It was approved by the Cabinet in August 2019 and directed the Land Records Department to prepare draft rules. The Land Records Department had prepared the draft rules and invited objections or suggestions to be made to it. After examining it, the rules were sent to the state government for final approval in June 2020.

In the meantime, the law department of the state government had proposed some amendments to it. The Land Records department sent the revised rules shortly. It’s been two years since then and the state government has not yet provided its approval therefore depriving the flat owners of legal ownership rights.

The rules include-

1.      Some fee should be charged for issuing supplementary property cards to flat owners

2.      The fee will be fixed by the state government

3.      Document registration for the issuance of supplementary property cards, documents taking approval from the local body (construction map, certificate of commencement of work, occupancy letter, completion certificate, NA order), and documents of registration of the society (conveyance deed) must be attached with the application

4.      Provision for the residents of a society or apartment to apply together or individually as needed

5.      Clarification that flat owners of unauthorized constructions will not get the benefit of this scheme

The benefits of property cards include-

1.      The interests of the flat-holder will be protected as the property card is a legal proof of ownership

2.      A separate record of the building area as well as the area owned by each flat-holder will be mentioned on the card

3.      The right of the flat-holder to the land will remain intact

4.      Disputes regarding the purchase and sale of flats will be resolved quickly

5.      The practice of cheating in house ownership matters will be curbed

Number of societies-

1.      1,20,540 Cooperative Housing Societies in the State

2.      85% of Housing societies in Pune, Mumbai, Thane

3.      30 to 40 percent of societies that have come for redevelopment