IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD THURSDAY, THE TWENTY THIRD DAY OF JANUARY TWO THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN Present HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE P.NAVEEN RAO WRIT PETITION No.1449 of 2014 Between:
P. Govardhan & another .. Petitioners AND The Government of Andhra Pradesh, Rep. by its Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad & 4 others .. Respondents The Court made the following:
HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE P.NAVEEN RAO WRIT PETITION No.1449 of 2014 ORDER:
The grievance of the petitioners is with regard to the insistence by the registering authorities on production of ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the Revenue Authorities as a condition precedent for receiving and registering the document presented by them for registration in connection with immovable property.
2. This Court has time and again held that there is no legal sanction for the action of the Registration Authorities in insisting upon such certification from the Revenue Authorities before entertaining documents for registration. Further, the Government of Andhra Pradesh issued Memo No.49938/Regn.I/A1/2012-4, dated 06.12.2012, requesting the Commissioner and Inspector General of Registration and Stamps, Andhra Pradesh, to instruct all the Registering Officers in the State not to ask for NOCs from the Revenue Authorities before registration and not to act on any such NOCs.
3. On similar issue, batch of writ petitions were disposed of by this Court by an order, dated 28.06.2013. Aggrieved by the order in W.P.No.12376 of 2013, dated 24.04.2013, the District Collector, Chittoor District, filed Writ Appeal No.1653 of 2013. The Division Bench of this Court affirmed the decision of the learned Single Judge. The Division Bench issued the following directions:
“Accordingly, we affirm the judgment and order of the learned Single Judge. We direct henceforth that no Government official shall act or take action in any manner unless that official concerned is authorized by law. Accordingly, the No Objection Certificate which has hitherto been asked for registration of the document shall not be demanded any more unless it is authorized by an appropriate enactment with prospective effect and not retrospective effect.
We feel that this judgment has got tremendous public importance. Therefore, a copy of this judgment shall be circulated to all the District Registrars, who in turn, shall issue instructions to their officers concerned under his control.”
4. It is unfortunate that the Registering Authorities continue to insist upon No Objection Certification from the Revenue Authorities before receiving the documents pertaining to immovable properties. Learned counsel for petitioners and learned Government Pleader submit that the subject matter to the extent of No Objection Certificate is covered by the decision of Division Bench in W.A.No.1653 of 2013.
5. Considering the submissions of learned counsels, the Writ Petition is disposed of directing the Sub-Registrar, Piler, Chittoor District (5th respondent), to receive and process the document presented by the petitioners without insisting upon such NOC and in the event the document presented fulfils the requirements of the Registration Act, 1908, and the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, he shall register and release the document in accordance with the due procedure. If, however the 5th respondent is of the opinion that the document presented for registration warrants denial, he shall pass orders in writing indicating the reasons for such refusal and communicate the same to the party in accordance with Section 71 of the Registration Act, 1908. There shall be no order as to costs. Miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this writ petition, shall stand closed.
P.NAVEEN RAO, J Date: 23rd January, 2014 KL HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE P.NAVEEN RAO WRIT PETITION No.1449 of 2014 Date: 23rd January, 2014 KL