Govt introduces cheque payment for sellers of plots

Kolkata: In a bid to ensure that sellers of lands appear at the office of additional district sub-registrar (ADSR) for registration of sale deeds of any plot that need to be procured for any state government project, it has been decided to make payment to sellers through cheques instead of transferring the money online to their bank accounts.

It may be mentioned that the state government makes direct purchase of private lands to develop different government projects. In a bid to make the process transparent and easier, the state government had introduced the system of direct online transfer of money to the sellers' bank accounts. Under the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), the payments are being made "through RTGS to the bank accounts of rayats/sellers".

According to an official, it was noticed that sometimes sellers do not appear at the office of ADSR at the time of registration of the sale deeds and such incidents are taking place even after the payment for purchasing the land is credited to their bank accounts. In a bid to check such a practice, the decision of making payment through cheques has been taken. It was realised by the state government officials that at the same time sellers of lands may not be ready to execute the sale deeds if the payment is not made, which generally results in unnecessary delay in execution of the proposed project of the state government. In such a situation, the permission for making payment through cheques instead of transferring it online to the bank accounts of rayats or sellers for registration of land, which is purchased under Direct Land Purchase Policy, has been granted. It has been considered that allowing payment through cheques by giving relaxation to the normal procedures of making payments will ensure the presence of sellers at the office of ADSR at the time of registration.

It has been stated in a order of the Audit Branch of the state Finance Department in this connection: "The concerned treasury officer shall issue cheques in favour of the rayats or sellers on request of the drawing officer."