Computerising the State Revenue department for removing malpractices in registrations in the State, Punjab Government on Tuesday launched an e-stamping project. “This initiative will remove malpractices in registrations and also make revenue transactions safe and secure,” said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal who inaugurated the project along with Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
“The initiative will bring in efficiency and transparency in the working of the Revenue department which will now be able to do online reconciliation of its transactions on a daily basis,” said Majithia.
Sukhbir said that the State Government would also introduce e-registration in the next six months, and “e-registration coupled with e-stamping will result in complete computerisation of the Revenue department”. Sukhbir also announced that by July this year all Government to government interactions and government to consumer services will be made computerised.
“People will now be able to deposit the stamp paper fee at thousands of branches of various banks near their place of work or residence. Besides, people will be able to deposit the exact fee in stark contrast to being forced to buy stamps of more denomination than needed due to lack of availability and creation of artificial scarcity,” Majithia said.
“Now, there will be no lines for procuring stamp papers or any middlemen. The common man can deposit the stamp fee through a wire transfer, a draft or even a cheque,” Majithia said, adding that this facility would now be available without any extra cost.
“In fact, the public will get some relief as they will no longer have to pay commission charges to the bank responsible for issuing stamp papers, as was happening till now,” he added.
He said that each stamp paper had a unique ID which was generated for that stamp paper only and could be verified online also. It also had various safety features including UV (ultraviolet), micro film and thermal fixtures besides an encrypted 2D bar code, he added.
Majithia said that the new paper was also a permanent record. The stamp papers, which were earlier available through one bank, would now be available through all 22 recognized banks and thousands of their branches in the State, he added.
The State Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Karan A Singh said that the Revenue department has acquired a secure electronic system to stamp documents besides electronic payment of stamp duty which will end leakage of Government revenue.