Srinagar, Jan 2: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has decided to launch an online notary portal and ordered the constitution of dedicated inspection teams for physical verification of notaries across the Union Territory to ensure accountability, transparency and efficiency.
According to a circular issued by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, directors of litigation in Jammu and Kashmir have been instructed to constitute inspection teams under the supervision of district litigation officers. These teams will carry out physical verification of notaries in their respective districts and collect all relevant data within one week to facilitate onboarding on the proposed online portal.
The circular states that any discrepancy noticed during verification shall be brought to the notice of the department for necessary action in accordance with the Notaries Act, 1952 and the Notaries Rules, 1956.
It has been made mandatory for all notaries appointed by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to extend full cooperation to the inspection teams within the stipulated period, failing which action will be initiated as per law.
The department said the online notary portal will enable registration and appointment of notaries, renewal of certificates of practice and online submission of annual returns. All notary-related information will be placed in the public domain, accessible round the clock, and grievances related to notaries can also be registered through the portal.
The move is expected to bring greater transparency to notarial services and make the system more accessible to citizens across J&K.
The circular further reiterated that, as per rules, every notary is required to submit an annual return of notarial acts in the first week of January each year and apply for renewal of the certificate of practice online within the prescribed timeframe.
With the one-week deadline for data collection and verification, the government has signalled its intent to swiftly implement the digital infrastructure for notary services. The inspection drive is seen as a precursor to weeding out irregularities and ensuring only qualified and compliant notaries are onboarded onto the new system.