: Gaps in land records, disputes and outdated surveys create challenges for real estate transactions
The government had made Green Property Certificate mandatory from July 1 for property sales, transfers and other land transactions. PHOTO: PEXELS
LAHORE:
Just days after making green property certificate mandatory for real estate transactions, the Punjab government has relaxed its policy by once again allowing issuance of computerized extracts of land records in computerized revenue areas. This development has raised questions about the practical implementation of the new system, the readiness of land records and the pace of digitalization.
The government had made Green Property Certificate mandatory from July 1 for property sales, transfers and other land transactions. According to officials, the system aimed to verify ownership, possession, boundaries and legal status using modern technology to prevent false transfers, double sales and real estate fraud.
However, during implementation, citizens, lawyers and real estate professionals encountered several difficulties. According to sources, applicants in many areas were unable to obtain the certificate because land records had not yet been fully digitized. As a result, the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) has started issuing land records extracts again in computerized revenue areas, while no clear policy has yet been announced for non-computerized areas.
According to Lahore-based real estate dealer Mian Ishtiaq Ahmad, incomplete digital land records in many old and suburban revenue estates of Lahore, as well as in Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Bhakkar and parts of South Punjab, have forced citizens to surrender. several times in the land register. Revenue centers and offices.
Tax authorities say most of the objections concern land boundary demarcation, verification of possession, co-ownership, inheritance disputes and cases pending in court. In many places, discrepancies between old land records and the current situation on the ground require new surveys or corrections to the records, thereby delaying the issuance of green property certificates.
Lahore High Court lawyer Rana Sajid Yousaf said the new system presents greater complications in cases of co-ownership, inherited properties, mortgaged land and contested property as an error in the records of a single co-owner can affect the entire transaction.
Meanwhile, Ali Raza Butt, deputy director of the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), said that around 96 percent of Punjab’s land records have been digitized, while the remaining 4 percent are yet to be completed due to historical and administrative complexities. He said most of the non-digitized tax areas are located in areas where there are ownership disputes or long-standing records gaps, and their digitization is underway.
He added that the objective of the Green Property Certificate is to provide citizens with verified properties whose ownership, boundaries, possession and legal status have been thoroughly verified. According to him, in case of discrepancies in the files, the certificate will be issued only after making the necessary corrections.
On the other hand, Shahid Ansar Goraya, president of Punjab Patwari Association, said that Punjab has not conducted a comprehensive survey on land settlement in the last 125 years. “Data entry errors made during the process of digitizing land records that began in 2007 have compounded the current problems. In some districts, indivisible land records, multiple properties registered under a single survey number and outdated demarcations continue to be major obstacles. A lasting solution requires a province-wide re-survey, correction of land records and updated demarcation of urban boundaries,” Goraya noted.
Experts believe that the Green Property Certificate could become an important step towards transparent land governance. However, its success depends on the existence of complete and accurate digital land records, effective on-the-ground verification, modern boundary surveys and uniform and phased implementation across the province.
