The Jammu and Kashmir administration has urged lawyers to call off their ongoing strike in the "interest of people" and assured them of making sincere efforts to address their concerns, an official said on Wednesday.
The appeal was made by K K Sharma, advisor to Lt Governor G C Murmu, during a meeting with the representatives of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) at the High Court complex here, the spokesperson said.
Work in the High Court and its subordinate courts has been affected in most parts of Jammu region after JKHCBA went on an indefinite strike on November 1 against the government's decision to divest the judicial courts of its powers to register various documents and vest the same with revenue department.
"The General House will decide whether we will continue the strike or call if off because it was the General House which has taken the decision to go for indefinite strike," JKHCBA president Abhinav Sharma told PTI.
Sharma, who was part of the delegation which met the advisor, said a decision to convene the General House will be taken later in the day.
"The General House will be briefed about the meeting with the government to help it to make a decision," he said.
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However, he said the strike will continue till the next General House.
Accompanied by Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Pawan Kotwal who also holds the charge of Inspector General of Registration in the Union Territory, advisor Sharma said the powers of the registration have been vested to the Revenue Officers in the UT in line with the practice in the rest of the country, under the Central Registration Act, 1908.
"It is also a step towards having a 'Uniform Registration System' in the country and for integrating it with the Digitisation of the Land Records and the Registration of the transactions pertaining to the land and other immovable property in the country," Sharma said as he appealed to the members of the association to call off their strike in the interest of people, who are suffering due to the strike.
He assured that the government would make sincere efforts to address their genuine concerns and hoped that the association will call off the strike and trust the government for implementation of the assurances and move forward on the issue to ensure transparent, efficient and modern registration system in the UT of J&K in which the lawyers will have to play a significant and important role.
"Whenever anyone has to get any legal document like registration of sale deed of immovable property, will deed, partnership deed, or registration of any testamentary and non-testamentary documents done under the Registration Act, these will always go to the qualified and licensed lawyers and that he does not see that their role has diminished," he said.
Kotwal said that the government has created a full-fledged department of Registration comprising 77 Sub-Registrars and 20 Registrars and their supporting staff involving creation of around 466 posts for the convenience of the general public and that of the lawyer community, who render valuable services in the registration process.
He said the government has decided to appoint 26 full-time Sub-Registrars, four each in Jammu and Srinagar and one each at the districts of the remaining 18 district headquarters.
The Financial Commissioner emphasised that lawyers' community has a very important role in ensuring correct and proper registration of various deeds and also assured the lawyers that they shall continue to play a role in the registration process as they were doing earlier.
He allayed the apprehension of the Lawyers that their practice would be affected with the introduction of new system.