A major technical failure has brought Aadhaar-based online property registrations across Maharashtra to a grinding halt, causing significant inconvenience to citizens and disrupting real estate transactions. Registration officials clarified on Monday that the problem originates from a technical glitch within the state's Department of Information Technology (DIT) and is not due to any fault of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Root Cause and Official Response
The Inspector General of Registration (IGR) office confirmed that the issue stems from a technical problem with the Windows server at the state DIT. This server failure has crippled the crucial online verification process that relies on Aadhaar authentication. Officials stated they are doggedly following up with the DIT for a quick redressal and expect services to resume at the earliest possible time.
The snag, affecting people since last week, has forced a rollback to older, more cumbersome procedures. Applicants now have to either wait indefinitely for the system to come back online or personally visit sub-registrar offices with two witnesses to complete their transactions. This has directly undermined the core benefit of the system introduced in March 2019, which was designed to reduce office footfall and eliminate the need for witnesses.
Widespread Impact on Real Estate and Rentals
The disruption has had a cascading effect on multiple property-related services. Online leave-and-licence agreement registrations have almost completely halted. Furthermore, a critical process for new home buyers—the e-registration of the first sale of flats directly from builders' offices—has been stalled, particularly in major urban centers like Pune and Mumbai where Aadhaar authentication is mandatory.
With 519 registration offices across the state, including 27 in Pune district alone, the scale of the disruption is substantial. On a normal working day, each office handles an average of 50 property registrations. The failure of the online system has led to a sharp and sudden rise in footfall at these offices, with citizens seeking to register rental agreements also being turned back to physical centres.
Calls for Robust Backup Systems
The crisis has sparked criticism and calls for better contingency planning. Citizens at sub-registrar offices complained about the lack of prior notice and the absence of offline alternatives or dedicated helplines. Industry associations have stepped in, submitting approximately 30 recommendations to streamline operations during such failures.
These suggestions include implementing alternative verification methods, such as email verification and biometric scanning, to prevent a complete standstill. Sachin Shingavi, President of the Association of Service Providers, Maharashtra State, expressed hope for a swift resolution, echoing the concerns of many waiting for services to normalize. The recurring nature of such glitches has also led to public demand for a permanent and reliable solution.
