Visakhapatnam: The Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted raids on the joint sub-registrar’s office at the Super Bazaar area. They exposed that the document writers in collusion with sub-registrars have increased the bribery amount from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the value of registration. Sometimes they demanded Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 additional money citing various reasons. ACB officials conducted a surprise raid at the office in super bazaar and seized Rs 2.21 lakh unaccounted money from two persons, including a document writer and a private stamp vendor.

“The stamps and registration department has a reputation of being vulnerable to corruption. Our raids at the joint sub-registrar’s office at the Super Bazaar area revealed that some documents writers and private stamp vendors are playing a key role in collecting bribe from people who wish to register their flats, houses and other properties,” ACB DSP (Visakha urban), K. Ramakrishna Prasad said.

Mr Prasad said that the document writers are indulging in brokerage. “The bribery amount for registration of properties has increased from 0.2 to 0.5 per cent of the value of property. Now, we are investigating the case to establish the links between document writers and sub-registrars,” he added. “If the registration value of a flat is around Rs 25 lakh, staffers in sub-registrar office (document writers and sub-registrar) collect Rs 12,500 to Rs 25,000 as bribe for registration of the property. Even after registration of any property, document writers used to collect Rs 10,000 as bribe for submitting the documents to owners,” Mr Prasad said.

An ACB senior officer said that despite the introduction of computerisation, bribery continues in the department. “Even as people have all the necessary documents for registration along with demand drafts for stamp duty and registration fee, the writers collude with sub-registrars and are forced to pay bribes,” he said. Some document writers in collusion with officials delay the process if citizens don’t bribe, the ACB official said.