Chennai: The Tamil Nadu registration department has proposed a network of model registration hubs that will offer property and other registration services on air-conditioned premises with appointment-based queues, dedicated premium lounges, and trained service staff.However, the public will have to pay more to use these facilities, in addition to the registration fees and stamp duty. The department has invited tenders to select a service provider to design, establish, operate, and maintain five pilot hubs — three in Chennai, one in Chengalpet district and one in Coimbatore — as the first phase of a proposed 25-hub network across Tamil Nadu.The three pilot locations in the city are Ambattur in north Chennai, Thiruvanmiyur in south Chennai, T Nagar in central Chennai. “The offices will be located in a mall or other premium locations,” said D Logesh Tamilselvan, minister of commercial taxes and registration.The proposed hubs aim to address long queues, overcrowding, and inconsistent service conditions at conventional sub-registrar offices. The department envisages spacious, fully air-conditioned waiting areas, Wi-Fi, digital token systems, SMS and WhatsApp notifications, drinking water, refreshments and assistance from trained service executives.A key feature is a tiered service system, enabling citizens to choose between standard, urgent and premium options. The final facilitation charges payable by consumers, including GST on the service provider’s share, will be ₹2,090 for standard service, ₹5,225 for tatkal standard service, ₹7,441 for premium service and ₹10,630 for tatkal premium service.“Citizens can continue to use existing sub-registrar offices, and the statutory powers to scrutinise, approve and register documents will remain exclusively with govt-appointed sub-registrars. The private service provider will handle infrastructure, technology, facility management and citizen-facing assistance, but will not have authority over registration decisions,” said an officialThe pilot hubs are expected to become operational within 60 days of the agreement being signed. The department proposes to expand the network by another 20 hubs after the pilot phase.
