Karu wants land registration quickened

Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya this week instructed the Registrar General to hold monthly meetings with the Colombo Law Society to ensure the registration of title deeds be streamlined and worked off smoothly for the benefit of lawyers and the public.

The instructions were given when a delegation from the Colombo Law Society headed by its President Upul Jayasuriya met the Minister to discuss the inordinate delays caused in the registering of deeds, delays in obtaining certified copies of extracts, and the non-availability of stamps and the dearth of staff at the Land Registry.

At Friday's meeting, the Registrar General L.K. Rathnasiri, the Registrars of Colombo, Dehiwela- Mt. Lavinia and Homagama were also present. Others in the Colombo Law Society delegation were Vice President U.R.de Silva, Secretary P. Joseph, Mrs. Thulasi Samarasinghe, Mrs. Shiranthi Gunawardena, Sunil Fernando and other representatives of several leading law firms of Colombo practising in notarial matters. The Minister assured that he would rectify the shortage of staff. The Registrar General, in consultation with the other Registrars informed the representatives that he would endeavour to register the current deeds that are for registration within a period of one week. He also assured that the extracts of title deeds that were presented would be issued on the same day that the application is made. The Minister instructed the Registrar General to take up the matter of setting up a stamp bureau in every land registry with the Finance Ministry and the Inland Revenue Department so that the collection of revenue by stamps could be credited to the Inland Revenue Department.

Concern was also expressed by the Law Society delegation over the non-availability of stamps of the denomination of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000.