Maharashtra cuts red tape, waives Rs 500 stamp duty on affidavits

To ease bureaucratic and financial burdens Maharashtrarsquos State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the immediate waiver of Rs 500 stamp duty on all types of affidavits in the state Now citizens can obtain various certificates by simply submitting a selfattested application on plain paper at the tehsil officeBawankule claimed the move would provide major relief to thousands of students and crores of citizens across the state Until now individuals seeking various certificates had to pay a stamp duty of Rs 500 per affidavit which resulted in expenses ranging from R3000 to R4000 for parents and students particularly during admission seasonsMumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar File PicNimesh DaveThe state government believes that this decision will not only reduce financial stress on families but also streamline the process of obtaining these crucial documents making it faster and more accessibleCurrently SSC and HSC board exams are underway and as soon as results are declared students and parents rush to obtain these certificates which are required for admissions and various other official processes Recognising this seasonal demand Bawankule emphasised that the decision had been made with immediate effect to ensure that parents and students are not burdened with unnecessary costsBawankule took to the social media platform X formerly Twitter to announce the decision stating that from now on citizens can obtain these certificates from tehsil offices without paying any stamp duty thereby saving families from repeatedly spending thousands of rupees He further highlighted that these documents are not only needed for academic purposes but are frequently required in legal and administrative matters making this decision beneficial for crores of people across the stateThe announcement has been met with widespread support from officials educators and students alike Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar welcomed the decision stating that it would ease the documentation process for both students and nonstudents saving time and money ldquoThe decision will save both time and money for the citizens It will ease the process a lotrdquo He saidA junior college teacher Kanishka Vallabh echoed similar sentiments saying ldquoThis move would provide muchneeded financial relief to the common citizens who often struggle with these additional expensesrdquoImplementation concernsHowever some stakeholders have raised concerns about the implementation of the decision and have called for further clarity from the government A student pursuing an LLM degree pointed out that while the waiver is a great step the government should issue clear directives with an official order specifying which documents are exempt from stamp duty ldquoI welcome the move but a formal list would help prevent confusion at government offices and tehsil centres ensuring smooth execution of the decisionrdquo he said While the announcement is being widely appreciated the Maharashtra government is being urged to issue a detailed notification to ensure that government offices follow the new directive without discrepancieslsquoWaiver is not enoughrsquoStudent leader Kamlakar Shete a state executive member Yuvak Kranti Dal Yukrand said the decision to waive stamp duty was welcome but the increase in educational fees must also be reversed ldquoThe state governmentrsquos decision to remove the mandatory R500 stamp duty on educational certificates is undoubtedly a relief for students This is a positive step toward reducing unnecessary financial burdens on students and parents However there has been a significant increase in educational fees which needs to be reversed Hikes in admission fees examination fees and other such charges have placed a heavy financial strain on students and their families Simply waiving stamp duty will not resolve the issue the government must take concrete measures to reduce the overall financial burden in the education system To ensure accessible and quality education for students the government must curb rising educational fees and offer necessary concessions Also essential facilities such as hostels libraries and other basic amenities should be provided free of cost or at subsidised rates to support studentsrdquo Shete saidSpectre of privatisationLast year the government increased stamp duty charges raising the minimum fee for essential transactions from R100R200 to R500 This hike placed a financial burden on students and citizens alike However with the rollback of this decision both students and the general public will now experience significant reliefSiddhant Jambhulkar secondyear politics student at Savitribai Phule Pune University said It is highly commendable that the state government has realised its mistake Congratulations to the government for reducing the burden on students Education is increasingly becoming a business due to continuous privatisation In Maharashtra incidents of paper leaks have become as common as in Bihar The quality of education is deteriorating and at the same time it is becoming more expensive This issue also needs attentionTo which documents does waiver applyIt applies to caste verification income residence noncreamy layer and nationality certificates as well as all affidavits required for submission to government offices The move is expected to bring relief for millions of students and crores of citizens