Official guidance, Tamil Nadu land law
Instructions on Registration of Tamil Nadu Waqf Board Properties
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department, through the Inspector General of Registration, issued N.K.No. 42478/C1/2022 dated 20 December 2022 to regulate how registration offices handle documents and objections involving Tamil Nadu Waqf Board properties. It instructs registration officers to consider Waqf Board objection letters sent directly to Sub Registrar Offices before 21 February 2022, but after that date to consider only Waqf Board letters routed through the Inspector General of Registration.
What the document governs
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department communication N.K.No. 42478/C1/2022 dated 20 December 2022 gives registration officers a procedure for dealing with documents concerning Tamil Nadu Waqf Board properties. Its purpose is to prevent fraudulent registration of Waqf property while avoiding obstruction to genuine registration of private property.
The communication follows a review meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary to Government on 29 November 2022. The meeting minutes are attached and record concerns about outdated survey numbers, differences between Waqf Board and revenue records, and difficulties faced by members of the public.
Instructions to registration offices
Registration officers under the Inspector General of Registration are instructed to follow these points:
- Letters sent by the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board directly to Sub Registrar Offices before 21 February 2022, objecting to registration of Waqf properties, must be considered.
- For letters issued after 21 February 2022, registration offices must consider only Waqf Board communications sent through the office of the Inspector General of Registration.
- The Tamil Nadu Waqf Board should not send post 21 February 2022 registration objections directly to Sub Registrars.
- Documents involving transfer of Waqf Board property may be accepted only when accompanied by a no objection certificate issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board through the proper administrative process.
- Such a document must be kept pending while the no objection certificate is verified with the appropriate authority. Written clarification may be obtained before registration if necessary.
Updating and resolving property records
The Chief Secretary's meeting directed that the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board database be updated within a fixed timeframe and matched with current revenue records.
- Minor differences may be resolved through a property survey and a decision by the District Collector based on joint reports from revenue authorities and Waqf Board officials.
- Retired or licensed surveyors may be used where necessary.
- Major differences at district level may be referred to the Commissioner of Land Administration, the Director of Survey and Settlement, or the Government, as appropriate.
- Major legal differences or questions requiring interpretation by the Law Department may be referred to the State Government.
Property buyers whose land is identified or objected to as Waqf property may therefore face verification, survey, record reconciliation, or a requirement for a valid no objection certificate before registration.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Can the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board send a registration objection directly to a Sub Registrar now?
For objections issued after 21 February 2022, the registration office is instructed to consider only Waqf Board letters routed through the office of the Inspector General of Registration, not letters sent directly to the Sub Registrar.
Is a no objection certificate required to register a transfer involving Waqf Board property?
Yes. The document says the no objection certificate must be issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board through the proper administrative process, and its authenticity must be verified before registration.
What happens if Waqf Board records and revenue records differ slightly?
The property may be surveyed, including by retired or licensed surveyors. The District Collector may then decide the matter based on joint reports from revenue authorities and Tamil Nadu Waqf Board officials.
Does every older Waqf Board letter to a Sub Registrar become invalid?
No. Registration officers are instructed to consider Waqf Board objection letters sent directly to Sub Registrar Offices before 21 February 2022.
