E-stamping facilities all set to go up drastically across Gujarat

The government on Tuesday announced that e-stamping facility will now be available at more centres including licensed stamp vendors and notaries.

In Ahmedabad alone, stamp papers can be brought at 61 authorised centres of banks and their branches, courts and sub-registrar offices but not all of them provide the e-stamping facility.

E-stamping is a computer version of the stamp paper to pay stamp duty to the government. Revenue minister Kaushik Patel at a press conference said that the state has decided to increase the number of vendors who can provide the facility of e-stamping.

"We had received several complaints about black marketing, artificial shortage of stamp papers created by stamp vendors to procure more money from those in need. But with more vendors getting the nod for e-stamping, this will be curbed," said Patel.

He said that this will also improve the speed and efficiency with which documents need to be registered in the state.

"Moreover, with e-stamping, people need to buy stamp papers in advance," said Patel.

He added that under the e-stamping rules 2014, at present branches of scheduled banks, government banks, post offices and sub registrars are the only centres where e-stamping facility could be availed. The state has in all 474 e-stamping facilities at present.

With the decision 35 nationalised and private bank branches, 80 co-operative bank's branch, 1259 stamp vendors, 5000 company secretaries, 11,500 chartered accountants 3,000 notary licensees and over 20,000 Common Service Centres (CSC) will get permission to provide e-stamping facilities thus making them recognised authorised collection centres for e-stamping.

He further added that since the sale of e-stamps leaves an online trail and the documents are registered on the state's Garvi system, the state will be able to control and track any cases of fraud better.

"With so many centres now offering e-stamping, citizens can approach their stamping centre close to there areas and pay their stamp duty and get a certificate similar to stamp paper to file affidavits or notarize their documents," said Patel.