The Maharashtra government has assured the Bombay High Court that it would adopt measures to ensure that Rs. 100 stamp papers are easily available with vendors.
Government Pleader G W Mattos also informed that the state government had exempted the stamp duty chargeable on affidavits or declarations made by people for obtaining caste, income, domicile and nationality certificates.
For these purposes, Rs. 100 stamp papers would no longer be required; the pleader told a division bench of Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice M S Sonak.
Accordingly, the bench recently disposed of a petition it was hearing suo motu on a newspaper report which said that stamp papers of Rs. 100 denomination had disappeared and were not available with the vendors, thereby causing hardship to students who have to give declarations for seeking admission in colleges.
The report said people were forced to buy stamp papers of higher denominations for petty affidavits, lease agreements and visa applications in view of shortage of Rs. 100 stamp papers. Moreover, vendors were selling Rs. 100 stamp papers at double or triple the face value due to short supply.
The report further said that the shortage of stamp papers has especially hit students seeking admissions to educational institutions as they need to submit affidavits along with admission forms.
In an affidavit, Additional Controller of Stamps denied shortage of stamp papers of Rs. 100 denomination.
The affidavit said the government had granted stamp vending licenses to bar associations for sale of stamp papers and court fee labels in court premises.
Accordingly, stamp vending licences have been issued to Dadar Bar Association, Bombay Advocates Bar Association at Small Causes Court, Mumbai, Motor Accident Claim Tribunal Bar Association, Borivali Advocates Bar Associations, Advocates Associates of Western India and Mazagaon Court Bar Association.
