Pune: VFS Global in consortium with WE Excel Software Pvt Ltd has secured a five-year contract to set up 60 model sub-registrar offices (SROs) across the state.The state registration department granted the contract for works aimed to digitise and streamline property registration, officials told TOI on Tuesday.The project will be rolled out in phases. The centres will deploy end-to-end digital infrastructure and a modern service delivery model to improve efficiency, transparency and citizen experience, said officials.The model SROs will feature fully air-conditioned facilities, WiFi-enabled waiting areas and digital systems for seamless processing. Trained staffers will assist citizens. Added amenities include refreshments and water dispensers, the officials added.State IGR Ravindra Binwade said the model office concept is a strategic initiative designed to address the persistent bottlenecks in the current property registration system.“Citizens have grappled with long queues, overcrowded SROs and lack of premium ambience for years. The department is establishing 60 dedicated model SROs to tackle these challenges. The facilities will remain under strict govt control and be staffed by departmental officials to ensure regulatory integrity, while specifically aimed to reduce the crowd in traditional offices,” he said.Officials said the hybrid model combined govt vision with operational efficiency through a specialised agency. The centres will remain optional, with existing SROs continuing to function. “These offices will be governed strictly by the department only,” he said.VFS Global chief commercial officer and head of business development Jiten Vyas said the initiative marks a key governance reform. “It is a forward-looking vision that reimagines citizen services through technology-enabled transformation. In addition to modernising property registration, the project will contribute to the local economy through creation of employment opportunities and development of skilled service delivery teams. As the govt increasingly partners with us across adjacent citizen services — from verification and attestation to education, medical testing and large citizen service centres — we are committed to building a sustainable, technology-led business that delivers secure, citizen-centric services at scale,” he said.
