Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has amended the rules related to ‘pokkuvaravu’ (mutation of property), making it mandatory to submit applications for ‘pokkuvaru’ before land registration in villages where a digital survey has been completed.

The order related to the amendment also says that all registration procedures will, henceforth, be carried out on the ‘Ente Bhoomi’ integrated portal.

The digital sketch and ‘thandaper’ (unique land title) will also be mandatory for land transactions, for which the land owner or a representative has to apply online for the digital pre-mutation sketch and ‘thandaper’ on Ente Bhoomi (ILTS).

An inspection of the land by the surveyor will follow, and the sketch will be prepared. Meanwhile, the ‘thandaper’ copy will be ready after a check by the village officer. Both these documents will be merged with the title deed and registered at the sub-registrar's office. Subsequently, land tax could be submitted online after including the mutation in the village records.

The survey sketch and ‘thandaper’ have to be uploaded online within four days of submitting the application. “Malpractices related to land deals can be curbed by registering title deeds under the integrated portal,” said Revenue Minister K Rajan.

In a related development, the government has issued an order directing District Collectors to issue ‘nijasthithi’ (possession) certificates to people who lost their ‘pattayam’ (title deeds) granted under land regulations.

The order, issued following the intervention of the Minister K Rajan, is expected to solve issues such as difficulties in obtaining bank loans and carrying out land transactions due to the loss of title deeds. The certificate will be issued based on the data in taluk and village offices and the report of the tahsildar.

A similar order was issued in 2020 also, but it applied only to land regulations implemented in 1964, 1993 and 1995. However, the latest order will cover all the other 15 rules. The certificate will be issued in case land tax is being paid in the name of the person who received the title deed or to whom the deed was legally transferred, as per the ‘thandaper’ account in the village office.