In several instances, the purchase of a property is carried out without following necessary precautions and without the knowledge of the various documents required for the transaction. Knowledge about the various documents and procedures to be followed will help in avoiding hindrances in the future.  It is integral that the parties are aware of the different documents required for the transfer. A possession certificate is one of the imperative documents required for the transaction as it is a legal document that proves the possession or ownership of the particular property is called a possession certificate.

It is provided to the buyer by the seller at the time of handing over possession. In rural areas, it is provided at the Tahsildar’s office, and in urban areas, the possession certificate is handed out to the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO). It is a very important document as it is required for all land distractions and is integral to add the property to the revenue records. It is also an important document that is required for acquiring a bank loan.

The Possession certificate is of vital importance as it is required in:

• Applying for a bank loan
• Proof of ownership or residence and also includes the date and time of possession.
• Adding to the property to the State Revenue Records
• Obtaining government subsidies
• Availing the various government schemes.

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Is there any fee that I have to pay?

The direct answer to this question is yes, you are required to furnish a nominal amount as the fee for obtaining a possession certificate. The amount payable for obtaining the same is decided by the state government authorities and may vary from state to state. The amount payable also varies based on different groups or categories you may belong to such as below the poverty line, above the poverty line, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, or any specific category recognized by the government.

For example, in Karnataka government charges an amount of Rs. 30 for the services they provide while the application fee is nil. On the other hand, the fee in Kerala is provided in the table below:

The amount that is payable in cases of online application is Rs. 15, irrespective of the category you belong to.

How much time does it take to obtain the certificate?

Like the amount payable, the time within which the possession certificate is obtained varies from state to state. You are required to submit the application form after which a verification process will be carried out in the supervision of the concerned officer. If no issue arises in the process of verification, then the person granted the possession certificate within 7 days of verification. The entire process may take more than seven days and in case of long and extended delays, then the person may approach the Tahsildar’s office and enquire about the status of the occupation certificate. You may check the status of the certificate through an online portal as well.

How to get a possession certificate online?

You may register for the possession certificate online. You may do so by visiting the official E-District Portal of the government. The procedure is followed by taking Kerala as an example.

• Visit the Kerala Government’s official E-District Portal
• Then you may register onto the online platform
• You are required to open the user registration tab from the homepage.
• Then you are required to fill in the required details, after which you are required to select the appropriate credentials.
• Then click on save and submit. A sample copy of the form is provided below.
• You may also select and provide the answers to the question for recovering your password.

• After the registration process is completed, then you may log into the account using the credentials to apply for the possession certificate online.
• You may log in and then proceed to the One-time Registration Tab.
• Then you are required to fill in using the required details and then click on the duplicate.
• Once all these procedures are completed then you may click on Submit and register yourself completely.
• You may then be required to click on apply for certificate tab and fill in all the required details such as name, type of certificate and so, on the application form that appears.
• Then you may submit the form.
• You are then required to submit all the required documents as PDF and the size of all the pdf files should be less than 100KB.
• After uploading all the required documents, you are then required to make the payment of the fee so required.
• You may receive the receipt for the same. You are advised to note the number as it may be required for future references.

You may also check the status of the possession certificate online by:

• Visiting the government’s E- District Portal.
• You may go to the Transaction History tab from the homepage.
• Provide the appropriate date and then on view status bar

You may make an application in Karnataka through the Sarkala website. States like Orissa, Andra Pradesh, etc also provide online services.

Conclusion

Summing up, it is to be stated that a possession certificate is a legal document that is required to prove the ownership and complete possession of the property. The possession certificate is an integral document as it is required for various purposes such as adding the land to the land revenue records, availing the bank loan, etc. The fee payable for obtaining a possession certificate is fixed by the state government and may vary from state to state. The application for the possession certificate can be made online or offline.

You may apply offline by approaching the Tahsildar and may apply online using the E-district portal of the government. After providing the relevant information and the required documents, a verification process is carried out by the authorities. The complete procedure may take more than 7 days and in case of extended delays, you may approach the Tahsildar for knowing the update on the same.