Residents flay govt over stamp duty hike

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 17

Residents flayed the hike in stamp duty claiming that instead of checking its own lavish expenditure, the state government was putting burden on the people.

City resident Gian Chand Bansal said, “The state government has given a gift to the residents at the beginning of the festive season by hiking the stamp duty. After the hike in power tariff, the imposition of new taxes and surcharge, only stamp duty was left.”

Another resident Atul Garg said, “It is sad that politicians have turned a blind eye towards the people who are reeling under high fuel and LPG prices, and increased power tariff. Instead of cutting on expenditure, the government is unnecessarily putting burden on the common man.”

NK Gosain, a city resident, said ill-conceived polices of the Union and state government are taking a toll on the common man. Ministers and MLAs are drawing high salaries, whereas the common man is being burdened with more taxes and surcharges, he added.

Residents said the Congress had come to power with the promise of providing relief, but it has started hitting the public hard.

In a move to mobilise additional resources, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance to amend Schedule 1-A of Indian Stamp Act, 1899, to enable increase in the stamp duty rates.

Stamp duty rates for 17 items stand to double following the amendment, which the Cabinet found to be essential to boost revenue.

Punjab currently raises Rs 50 crore from stamp duty, which may go up by Rs 100-150 crore with the increase in rates.