Mumbai, Dec 30 : Aadhaar-based online verification for property registrations across Maharashtra has been disrupted for over a week due to a technical glitch, throwing property transactions rental agreements and first sale registrations into disarray and forcing citizens back to crowded sub registrar offices.
State registration officials on Monday clarified that the disruption is not linked to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), but is the result of a technical failure at the state Department of Information Technology (DIT). The Office of the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) said the issue was caused by a Windows Server-related problem at the DIT level.
“The Aadhaar authentication issue seen in the registration system is not due to UIDAI. The problem occurred because of a technical snag at the DIT level,” the registration department said in a statement.
The glitch has brought Aadhaar-based online verification to a standstill, affecting property registrations, online leave-and-licence agreements and first-sale registrations directly from builders’ offices. Applicants are now being asked either to wait until the system is restored or to visit sub-registrar offices in person along with two witnesses, a move that defeats the very purpose of digital registration.
Online leave-and-licence registrations have nearly come to a halt, while first-sale registrations from developers’ offices — particularly in Pune and Mumbai — have been severely impacted as biometric Aadhaar verification of buyers is mandatory for such transactions.
“We are coordinating closely with the Department of Information Technology to restore Aadhaar-based online registration services at the earliest,” IGR officials said.
Maharashtra has 519 registration offices, including 27 in Pune district alone, with each office handling an average of around 50 property registrations on a normal working day. Officials said urban centres such as Pune and Mumbai have borne the brunt of the disruption due to their heavy reliance on digital registration systems. With online services down, footfall at sub-registrar offices has risen sharply, increasing crowding and inconvenience.
Service providers and citizens alike have voiced frustration over the lack of prior notice and the absence of interim alternatives. Sachin Shingavi, president of the Association of Service Providers, Maharashtra, said many applicants were left waiting. “Numerous people had to wait, especially those renewing rental agreements. We hope the system resumes soon,” he said.
Service provider associations have submitted around 30 recommendations to the government, suggesting alternatives such as email-based verification, additional biometric options and dedicated helplines during outages. “Associations have submitted nearly 30 recommendations, including alternatives such as email-based verification and additional biometric options, to handle such failures,” representatives said.
Maharashtra had amended Section 32A of the Registration Act, 1908, in 2018 to enable Aadhaar-based property registration from March 2019, with the objective of reducing physical visits and eliminating the need for witnesses. Citizens now argue that the current outage underscores the need for robust backup systems.
“There was no prior notice, no helpline and no clear timeline for restoration. Authorities must put permanent alternatives in place to avoid recurring disruptions,” said citizens waiting at sub-registrar offices.
Officials said the issue is being treated as a priority and efforts are underway to restore services at the earliest.
