To handle the surge in property registrations before the financial year ends, all 519 property registration offices across Maharashtra will extend their working hours by two hours daily from March 1, as per a notification issued by the state registration department on Monday. This move comes in anticipation of a potential increase in Ready Reckoner (RR) rates for the next fiscal, prompting homebuyers and investors to rush their property registrations before the new rates take effect from April 1.
Officials confirmed that this is the first time the department has extended working hours during March, a month that historically sees higher registration volumes. The decision is also aimed at helping the department meet its revenue target of 55,000 crore for the current financial year, having already collected 48,661 crore from 24.87 lakh registered documents as of February 24. The proposed 10% hike in RR rates, currently under review by the state government, is further driving urgency among buyers. Developers and consumer activists welcomed the decision, stating that extended hours will ease the registration process for those looking to finalize property deals before potential rate hikes. Meanwhile, the department’s plan to modernize 100 sub-registrar offices statewide remains stalled due to funding delays, affecting renovation and relocation efforts for several offices.