CHANDIGARH AUGUST 21:In a significant move to revamp the system of collection of stamp duty and plug the leakage of revenue through modern procedures, the Punjab Government would soon introduce e-stamping in the state.
A decision to this effect was taken here at a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal in CMO this morning after a detailed presentation made by Director Land Records Settlement & Consolidation and Land Acquisition Arvinder Singh Bains.
Mr. Badal said that the e-stamping system would be applicable for all non-judicial stamp duty payments and was likely to be launched as a pilot project from the major cities of Punjab. He hoped that e-stamping being an excellent example of how technology could be used for the benefit of common man and would be a frontrunner in the upcoming e-governance projects in the near future.
The Punjab Government would soon ink an agreement with Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) to launch and implement e-Stamping across the State.
It may be recalled that the Central Government has mandated SHCIL to act as a Central Record-keeping Agency (CRA) and authorized to undertake the project in the states that were willing to join the e-Stamping system envisaged by SHCIL.
It was also informed in the meeting that SHCIL had already launched e-stamping in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, NCT of Delhi and recently in Maharashtra. The state of NCT of Delhi government had made e-Stamping compulsory giving a further boost to the efforts of automating the administration process of the Government.
Taking part in the deliberations, Financial Commissioner Revenue Mrs. Romilla Dubey pointed out that the e-stamping system implemented by SHCIL, was a web based application, giving the public the convenience of paying stamp duty to the Government without undergoing the hassles associated with the physical stamp paper and without the risk of losing revenue. The certificate of stamp duty or the e-stamp could be printed by a specified printer once the software application receives the document details.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Revenue Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Harcharan Bains and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru.