Nearly 15,000 leave and licence documents are currently pending across Maharashtra following repeated technical failures that disrupted Aadhaar-based authentication systems earlier in January. This significant backlog emerged after services were restored, leading to a high volume of document submissions for registration. The situation was further compounded by the deployment of staff for civic elections, according to data from the state registration department.
Urban Centres Bear the Brunt of Registration Delays
Thane leads with 7,295 pending documents, followed closely by Pune with 5,329 and Mumbai with 1,579, accounting for the largest share of the backlog. Registration officials have confirmed that technical snags during document submission, combined with staff duties related to elections, have significantly delayed clearance processes. The disruptions originated from issues with the Directorate of Information Technology's Windows server, which stalled online property registrations, leave and licence agreements, and first-sale registrations from builders' offices for nearly a week.
System Failure Undermines Digital Reform Efforts
The widespread technical problems triggered numerous complaints from citizens across the state. Although services have since resumed, the substantial backlog remains unresolved. The outage forced applicants to either wait indefinitely or visit sub-registrar offices with two witnesses, directly undermining the Aadhaar-based online system introduced in 2019 specifically to reduce footfall at government offices.
Maharashtra implemented Aadhaar-based property registration by amending Section 32A of the Registration Act, 1908 in 2018, with implementation beginning in March 2019. This reform was designed to eliminate the requirement of two witnesses and significantly reduce physical visits to sub-registrar offices. The Aadhaar-linked system was later extended to include online leave and licence registrations and first sale registrations directly from developers' offices.
Long-Term Solution Under Consideration
Officials revealed that the department is planning to establish a direct connection with the Unique Identification Authority of India instead of routing through the state IT department as part of a comprehensive long-term solution. "We are considering this approach, and once finalized, Aadhaar authentication will be streamlined and citizens should not face such issues in the future. We will be approaching the authority directly," stated a senior registration official on Friday.
The official emphasized that the authentication problem did not originate with UIDAI but stemmed from technical glitches at the Directorate of Information Technology. He added that pending documents are expected to be cleared within approximately one week, providing some relief to affected citizens.
Citizen Frustration Mounts Over Repeated Disruptions
Maharashtra operates 519 registration offices, including 27 in Pune district alone, with urban centers such as Pune and Mumbai experiencing the most severe impact since these areas conduct the majority of transactions digitally. Citizens have expressed growing frustration over the repeated delays and system failures.
"I had to cancel multiple appointments and still haven't been able to register my rental agreement despite several attempts," shared Meera Chavan, a resident of Pune. Ramesh Patil from Thane added, "Each time we try to complete the process online, the system fails unexpectedly. There should be better communication channels and a dedicated helpline for addressing such critical issues."
Sachin Shingavi, president of the Association of Service Providers in Maharashtra, commented, "These repeated disruptions are inconveniencing both citizens and service providers significantly. We sincerely hope the department identifies and implements a permanent solution soon to ensure online registration functions smoothly without interruptions."
Registration Revenue Shows Strong Performance Despite Challenges
Despite the technical challenges, Maharashtra's registration and stamps department has demonstrated robust financial performance. With two months remaining in the financial year, the department has already achieved over 73% of its annual revenue target, collecting Rs46,643.93 crore during FY 2025-26 until January 21st.
Between April 2025 and January 21, 2026, a total of 35.6 lakh documents were registered across the state. Senior registration officials noted that transaction volumes remained consistent through most months of the fiscal year. "Registrations have maintained steady momentum, with revenue crossing Rs5,000 crore in July, September, November, and December," explained a senior official.
July and December emerged as the strongest performing months in the ongoing fiscal period. July generated Rs5,155.82 crore from over 4.03 lakh documents, while December topped the chart with Rs5,595.35 crore from nearly 3.95 lakh registrations. Officials expressed confidence that the department will further narrow the gap with the annual target, as registration activity traditionally increases in February and March, driven by year-end property transactions and financial planning activities.
Urban centers including Mumbai and Pune continue to account for a substantial share of both registrations and revenue, with high-value transactions in these metropolitan areas significantly contributing to overall achievement metrics. The department remains optimistic about meeting its targets despite the temporary technical setbacks affecting document processing.
