Circular No. 20274/CS1/19, Ease of Doing Business Instructions, 2022
The Inspector General of Registration, Chennai, issued Circular No. 20274/CS1/19 dated 17 September 2022, directing the Registration Department to process Marriage Certificate and Encumbrance Certificate services online under the Business Reforms Action Plan 2022. Applicants must be able to apply, upload documents, pay any required fee, respond to queries, track progress and download the final certificate online, with both services to be processed within three working days.
What the circular governs
Circular No. 20274/CS1/19 dated 17 September 2022 sets online processing requirements for two Registration Department services under the Business Reforms Action Plan 2022:
- Marriage Certificate
- Encumbrance Certificate
The instructions were issued by the Inspector General of Registration, Chennai, to all Sub Registrars and District Registrars. Copies were also sent to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau and all Deputy Inspectors General of Registration.
Who is affected
The Registration Department instructions affect people applying for a Marriage Certificate or Encumbrance Certificate. Property buyers, owners and professionals seeking an Encumbrance Certificate should be able to complete the application cycle through the department's website rather than submitting paper documents to officials.
Registration Department officials handling these applications must use the online system and follow the prescribed processing timeline.
Online facilities
The Registration Department website must provide applicants with facilities to:
- Find information about the procedure, document checklist and fees.
- Submit the application online.
- Upload supporting documents.
- Pay the required fee, if any.
- Track the application's status.
- Receive and respond to queries raised by department officials.
- Download the final certificate.
Restrictions on physical submissions
Registration Department officials must not ask an applicant to submit an application form, supporting documents or responses to queries in hard copy or in another form. Applications and queries must be processed only through the online system.
There should be no physical contact point between an applicant and department officials during the application cycle. An inspection, site visit or physical visit by the applicant is allowed only where it is required by law.
Processing time and grievances
The annexure to Circular No. 20274/CS1/19 sets the following timelines:
- Marriage Certificate applications must be processed within three working days.
- Encumbrance Certificate applications must be processed within three working days.
If the stipulated timeline is not met, the applicant must be informed that a grievance can be raised with the Office of the Inspector General of Registration. On receiving a grievance, the office is to initiate necessary action, including imposition of a penalty on the officials concerned.
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Common questions
Can I apply online for an Encumbrance Certificate?
Yes. Circular No. 20274/CS1/19 directs that Encumbrance Certificate applications be processed online, including document upload, payment, status tracking, query responses and certificate download.
How long should an Encumbrance Certificate application take?
The annexure sets a processing timeline of three working days for an Encumbrance Certificate application.
Can a Registration Department official require hard copies?
No. Officials must not ask applicants to submit application forms, supporting documents or query responses in hard copy or another form.
What can I do if the application is not processed on time?
You can raise a grievance with the Office of the Inspector General of Registration. The circular states that necessary action, including penalty imposition on the officials concerned, will be initiated after a grievance is received.
