eGovWatch: Punjab govt launches e-stamping project

In a bid to computerise revenue department for removing malpractices in registrations in the state, Punjab government haslaunched an e-stamping project.

“This initiative will remove malpractices in registrations and also make revenue transactions safe and secure,” Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said after inaugurating the project in Mohali.

Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was also present on the occasion, an official release said. 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, Majithia said.

The state government would also introduce e-registration in the next six months, Sukhbir said, adding that “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. He said 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 each stamp paper had a unique ID which was generated for that stamp paper only and could be verified online also. He said it also had various safety features including UV, ultra violet, micro film and thermal fixtures besides an encrypted 2 D bar code. He said 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 recognised banks and thousands of their branches in the state, he added.

Karan A Singh, Financial Commissioner, Revenue, 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. A S Bains, Special Secretary, Revenue, said e-stamping had been initiated as a pilot project in five districts of Mohali, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Bathinda. He said it would cover all districts by March 31 this year