Smaller agricultural plots, reclassified as housing plots, can be registered if the size of the land qualified within the definition of a ‘layout’ as spelt out by a 2017 Housing and Urban Department order, the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) has said.
In a recent communication to officials of the Registration Department, the IGR brought to their notice the G.O.Ms.No.78 issued by Housing and Urban Development Department on May 4, 2017. The G.O. described a ‘layout’ as “(i) division of land into plots exceeding eight in numbers in Chennai Metropolitan Planning area; (ii) division of land into plots by introducing a new road or street in areas other than Chennai Metropolitan Planning Area.”
“There were some cases where the Sub-Registrar concerned did not register the land either for want of clarification or was not willing to register land in the absence of a specific rule. The clarification issued is to explain issues to them,” a senior official in the Registration Department told The Hindu.
Cases, where land documents were not registered, were when the land to be registered was below 10 cents or when a 10-cent agricultural land was being converted into residential plots or when ‘grama natham’ lands were to be converted into residential plots.
There were also instances where houses were constructed on agricultural land and sold as a residential land or where only a part of the agricultural land was being converted into a residential plot.
