The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Franking machines to curb fake stamps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Franking machines to curb fake stamps

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 27. To curb use of fake stamps and overcome stamp scarcity, the Government has taken measures such as installing franking machines, providing ultra violet lamps and authorising registering officers to accept cash in lieu of stamp papers.

Moving the demand for grants to Stamps and Registration of the Commercial Taxes department, the Public Works Minister, O. Paneerselvam, said franking machines would be installed in 15 sub-registrar offices in the first phase.

All sub-registrar offices were provided with ultra violet lamps. The Government also planned to issue licences to the Life Insurance Corporation of India and the Housing Development Finance Corporation permitting them to use franking machines.

All sub-registrars, being ex-officio stamp vendors, were empowered to affix adhesive stamps on instruments. They were also authorised to accept cash under Section 41 of the Indian Stamp Act, in lieu of stamp duty, without any ceiling for certain instruments and add certificates to the instruments for payment of duty. The move would reduce hardship to the public in getting stamp papers, he said.

Payment of stamp duty and registration fees by registrants through banks was under consideration. ``The maximum face value of non-judicial stamp papers is proposed to be fixed at Rs.100''. The revenue by way of registering documents, which was Rs.1,648.86 crores in 2002-2003, rose to Rs.1,732.91 crores in 2003-2004. During this period 15,92,934 documents were registered.

The target for the current financial year was Rs.2,100 crores.

Under the Perspective Plan on Prison Reforms and Annual Action Plan, the Centre tentatively allocated Rs.95.34 crores, which included the State's contribution of 25 per cent for upgrading sub-jails as district jails, constructing new jails, renovating prison buildings and reducing congestion by expanding and improving facilities.

Mr. Paneerselvam, who also moved the demand for grants to Prohibition and Excise, said the average monthly turnover of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation for the period from November 29, 2003 to June 30 last was Rs. 421crores, up from Rs. 326 crores in the corresponding period the previous year — a growth of 21 per cent.

e-governance

Mr. Paneerselvam said special initiatives in e-governance would be taken up in the Revenue department at a cost of Rs.3 crores. Digitisation of the field measurement book would be taken up in two districts as a pilot project at a cost of Rs. 40 lakhs.

Temple property

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister, P.C. Ramasamy, said the Government had taken steps to enhance revenue from 4.79 lakh acres of land, 22,599 buildings and 33,627 sites leased by temples and other religious institutions under the department, by fixing fair rent and evicting encroachments.

H. Raja (Bharatiya Janata Party) reiterated the BJP's stand that the administration of temples should be handed over to an autonomous body.

He said encroachments on the Idumbanar and Ilayanar temples in Tiruvannamalai district had not been cleared, despite an assurance given by the Minister during the last session.

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