Chennai: The automatic patta name transfer facility, which updates land records based on document registration, has reportedly been stalled in recent months in select taluks across districts including Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchi. The disruption has triggered complaints that some officials are using the delay to facilitate illegal collections.
In Tamil Nadu, property buyers typically have to apply separately for a patta name change. To simplify the process for transactions involving the purchase of an entire property under a survey number—where creating a sub-division survey number is not required—the government introduced an automatic patta transfer scheme in 2019.
Under the scheme, applicants were able to receive the updated patta online within a few weeks of registration, as document checks are completed at the Sub-Registrar level, reducing the need for Revenue Department intervention.
However, applicants who recently filed for patta transfer said Revenue officials have been intervening despite the verification already being completed. They alleged they were asked to appear in person and pay between ₹2,000 and ₹5,000, even though incorrect applications would ordinarily be rejected automatically by the software.
A Revenue Department official said action would be taken against personnel interfering with the automatic process, and that technical measures would be introduced to prevent such intervention.
