Mangalore bar body moves Karnataka High Court over new document registration software

The Mangalore Bar Association has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition before the Karnataka High Court raising concern that defects in a revised software, dubbed Kaveri 2.0, has been hindering registration of documents in the State [Mangalore Bar Association v. State of Karnataka and ors.]..The matter was briefly heard by a Bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice MI Arun on Monday, when the Court assured that it will examine the concerns raised in the PIL. It then proceeded to list the matter along with other similar petitions on March 24..The Mangalore Bar Association's plea has called for the implementation of a software for property registration that is in line with the law and free of defects and illegalities that have been noticed in Kaveri 2.0.The bar body has also sought constitution of an expert body to help in coming out with such a software. The expert body should comprise relevant stakeholders including the Mangalore Bar Association, the plea said.Until such corrective steps are taken, the use of Kaveri 2.0 should also be suspended and property registration should take place under the earlier software, the bar association suggested today..Representing the Mangalore Bar Association today, Senior Advocate PP Hegde told the Court that Kaveri 2.0 is not aligned with the law in many ways, and has prevented the registration of certain kinds of documents. "Registration of documents has broken down. Kaveri 2.0 is not aligned with provisions of law. For example, a person has right to sell undivided rights. This (Kaveri 2.0) doesn't provide for it. (It has caused) huge difficulties," he told the Court. He added that the involvement of stakeholders, such as lawyers involved in the registration of documents, is necessary to take corrective steps and bring about a software that is free of defects and in tune with the law. "The stakeholders must be there because I feel, the software is not prepared in tune with the law ... Lawyers are not able to implement the provisions of the law. They prepare the documents and software doesn't accept it ... There are inherent difficulties in the software itself. For a vacant space in an apartment, it doesn't provide for registration at all," he pointed out. .[Live Coverage]