The praiseworthy decision of the State Government to waive stamp and registration duties for women vis-à-vis registration of immovable properties in their names has to wait a bit longer since the file is yet to reach the Planning and Finance Department for its crucial assent before finally being placed before the Cabinet.
Highly placed officials in the Department said that the proposal has not reached here as of now. “We have not received the file yet. As and when it comes we would look into the details, especially how the decision is going to affect the revenue being generated out of it over the period of time,” said Additional Finance Commissioner Satyendra Singh.
He further added the proposal prepared by the Revenue, Registration and land Reforms Department would put in place the details about the effects of the decision in terms of State’s finances since the twin waivers accumulate to 7 per cent of the circle rate of the land.
When contacted, Revenue, Registration and land Reforms Department Secretary KK Soan said that the proposal from their part had been forwarded for the opinions of the concerned departments. “We had sent the file about a week ago itself. Following the opinion of the law Department, it would travel to Finance and then come to us before being sent to the Cabinet,” said Soan.
The Government had in a move aimed to women empowerment on May 3 decided to bring registry charges on property registered in their name to notional Rs1 at a review meeting presided over by Chief Minister Raghubar Das. However, two Cabinet meetings since then have taken place without the call getting placed and discussed.
Inputs coming in suggest that a section in the Government advocating to alter with the original decision about the complete waiver citing dent it may cause to the State’s income.
“There were opinions like this. But the Department is of the view that since we are a welfare State there should not be any objection to the step taken in the favour of the weaker sections of the society. The file noting from our side clearly mentions that and we are not calculating any expected revenue loss the decision is going to cause,” said a Joint Secretary in the Revenue, Registration and land Reforms Department.
In all likelihood, the file is expected to reach the Finance Department not before next week and depending on the comments made it would be placed before the Cabinet for the final nod. “The notification is possible only in June,” added the Joint Secretary.