CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Minister P Moorthy on Monday announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be formed to study fraudulent land registrations and other irregularities that took place during the past years.
Replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department in the state Assembly, the minister said the SIT would submit a report on the fraudulent land deals and the revenue loss due to these registrations. Besides, the team would make a complete study on the irregularities committed in the registration process. Based on the report of the SIT, legal and criminal action would be taken against the culprits. For this purpose, Rs 2.20 crore would be allocated.
In 2011, when the AIADMK returned to power, the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa formed a special cell to deal with land grabbing complaints against DMK functionaries. A few thousand complaints were lodged with this special cell and Jayalalithaa gave updates on the extent of lands retrieved from encroachers and how the real owners got back their lands. When the then DMK president M Karunanidhi charged that the AIADMK government was carrying out a political vendetta against the DMK men in the disguise of land grabbing charges, Jayalalithaa denied it saying the complaints were received from people who have no political party affiliations.
The minister, in the policy note for his department tabled in the Assembly, said nine procedural steps are being taken to curtail fraudulent registration, forgery and impersonation in registration of deeds relating to immovable property and to ascertain the right of executants over the property comprising such deeds.
The registering officer, at the time of registration of deeds, should verify the encumbrance certificate, original documents, patta and revenue documents and tax receipts in case the property is ancestral and the original documents are not available.
Further, the registration office should verify whether the party has furnished a certified copy of the document and of the 'not traceable certificate' issued by the police and the advertisement published in local dailies regarding loss of documents, when the previous original document is lost.
The minister also announced that action would be taken under the Goondas Act against those who submit fake Input Tax Credit certificates to cause revenue losses to the government and those who submit fraudulent documents to get tax refund. For this purpose, appropriate legislation would be introduced.
The minister, in the policy note for the Commercial Taxes department, said to curb bill trading activities, scrutiny of returns and e-way bill data was carried out and so far 371 taxable persons had been identified and action was being taken against them. “Further, beneficiaries who have availed such fake ITC are being identified and action against them is being taken by way of blocking of wrongly availed credit and such amount is being collected along with penalty and interest,” he added.
Key announcements made by the Commercial Taxes Minister
Steps will be taken to provide all services of the Commercial Taxes department in Tamil.
Five new registration districts will be created at Thiruvarur, Thiruvallur, Thirupathur, Ranipet and Perambalur.
IP cameras will be installed in all Sub Registrar officers to prevent irregularities.