In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Pune Registration and Stamp Duty office launched a doorstep service on Monday to help senior citizens prepare and register their wills, eliminating the hassle of visiting government offices for the legal documentation.
The service addresses challenges faced by the elderly who possessed the intent to create ‘wills’ but were unable to navigate the bureaucratic process due to physical limitations or lack of awareness about legal requirements.
This initiative, under the Maharashtra government’s 100-day administrative reform programme, is part of the ‘Respect’ segment of SAIRAM initiative — Sensitivity, Accessibility, Identity, Respect, Accountability, and Mindfulness — which aims to streamline the governance process.
“Under the ‘Respect’ component, we are attempting to help senior citizens on a priority basis. They or their legal representatives need to apply at their nearest sub-registrar office to access this facility,” Santosh Hingane, Joint District Registrar, Pune, told The Indian Express.
A fee of Rs 300 is charged for the home visit service, while a key requirement involves obtaining a medical certificate confirming the applicant’s mental capacity, which is mandatory regardless of the individual’s physical health.
Following the application, the sub-registrar office schedules home visit appointments within two to three days.
“To make the initiative foolproof, the complete process undergoes video recording for official documentation and legal validation before submission to the registrar’s office. For more information, citizens can contact the Sarathi call centre,” added Hingane.
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Citizens can access application forms through the official website of the Office of the Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps.
The initiative aims to prevent property disputes among families while ensuring that elderly people can document their decisions regarding asset distribution.
An awareness programme under the educational outreach component was carried out on Monday at Sonashray Old Age Home in Mohammadwadi to educate residents about the importance of ‘will’ preparation and the required procedure by the district registration office.
Pune-based advocate Purvi Jadhav has welcomed the step as the succession of property can now be streamlined and made smooth with the launch of the awareness and home-visit programme by the Pune Registrar’s office.
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“Considering the exponential rise in property rates, the greed for it has been high. In the absence of a will, we have often witnessed the next generation fighting for property, and at times, there have been murder cases too. It gets complicated and challenging while distributing property if the will is not prepared beforehand, and the cases run for years,” Jadhav said.
“Besides, as migration has increased, the legal heirs residing abroad or anywhere away from their hometown will not need to visit personally during the process, as the home-visit ‘will registration’ has taken care of optimum privacy and confidentiality, making it simple,” the lawyer remarked.
Anjani Mangale, 78, a resident of Nigdi and an arthritis patient, says the initiative is a boon to many like her who have restricted mobility. She said, “I had wanted to prepare my will for the last two years, but my arthritis makes it difficult to travel. My children are also working far away from the city. So I didn’t want to bother them. Now this home service will allow me to get the legal document and properly allocate property without any family disputes in the future.”
(Shubham Kurale is an intern with The Indian Express)
