the goan I network
PANAJI
The government has moved swiftly to stamp out practices by certain notaries who have allowed legalization of contracts using lower stamp duty, thereby causing sizable losses to the State exchequer.
In a recent order, the law department pointed out that various types of documents including rent/lease registration contracts were not processed according to the notary law.
While warning notaries against allowing legalization of contracts using lesser stamp duty, the government has threatened action against all such transactions where stamp duty is not paid within the slabs prescribed by law.
The government has also issued a similar order to municipal administration, panchayat department, Town and Country Planning and Home departments. All these departments have been asked to direct their respective personnel to strictly enforce the code of law and to report any discrepancies to the State comptroller.
The law department has cited instances of how notaries have offered to complete the documentation process at a lower stamp duty resulting in loss of revenue to the State treasury.
The State Comptroller and Chief of Notary Services Ashutosh Apte, when asked, stated that the chief minister has directed action against such offences.
“We have instructed notaries not to encourage illegal contracts or use stamp papers of lesser value thereby depriving government of its revenue,” said Apte.
