The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will roll out auto-mutation of properties starting August 1, marking a significant step in digitising urban governance. The move aligns with a broader initiative launched across 17 municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh, aimed at streamlining property ownership updates through digital integration.
Auto-mutation is a process where a property’s ownership record is automatically updated in the municipal tax database upon its registration with the Sub-Registrar's Office. This eliminates the need for separate manual applications, long wait times, and physical verification traditionally required for recording changes in property ownership.
According to VMC Commissioner HM Dhyanachandra, the civic body is fully prepared to implement the digital linkage that connects the Registration and Stamps Department with the Municipal Administration Department. The integration allows real-time sharing of ownership data. Once a property is registered, the system will directly update municipal records after verifying that all pending taxes and mutation fees have been paid.
The commissioner explained that the reform is expected to substantially reduce delays and manual interventions, which have historically led to errors, disputes, or lack of clarity in property records. The change also aims to reduce footfall in municipal offices, lessen paperwork, and make civic services more responsive to citizens' needs.
As part of the rollout, property buyers and sellers in Vijayawada have been asked to ensure they enter the correct property tax assessment number at the time of registration. This is crucial for enabling automatic linkage between the registration records and the corresponding tax data in the VMC’s system. If this number is missing or incorrect, the auto-mutation process cannot be completed successfully.
Previously, property owners had to make a separate application with the municipal corporation post-registration, attaching documents such as the sale deed, tax receipts, and identification proof. This manual process not only took weeks or months but was also prone to procedural errors. With auto-mutation, these issues are expected to be largely eliminated.
The initiative is part of the Andhra Pradesh government’s Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) efforts, which aim to improve citizen experience, enhance transparency in urban land records, and optimise municipal revenue collection. The state government believes that accurate, real-time updating of ownership records will help increase compliance, reduce disputes, and bring in greater accountability in urban property transactions.
VMC officials anticipate that the new system will also help improve tax collection efficiency. When ownership changes are not updated promptly, municipal records often remain in the name of previous owners, leading to loss of revenue or confusion during tax assessments. With automatic mutation, the system ensures that the rightful owner is billed accurately and on time.
Commissioner Dhyanachandra has also stressed the importance of public awareness for the success of this reform. The civic body plans to run a short public information campaign to inform residents about the procedural changes, particularly the need to include assessment numbers in all registration documents.
The auto-mutation process will be monitored in its initial phase to ensure seamless implementation. Other cities like Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Kurnool, and Tirupati have already prepared for similar rollouts, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a front-runner in digital municipal governance in India.
As Vijayawada adopts the reform from August 1, officials are hopeful that this initiative will reduce bureaucratic delays, improve record accuracy, and set a precedent for modernised, citizen-friendly services in other cities as well.
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