Low-value stamp paper shortage dogs Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city is facing acute shortage of non-judicial stamp paper in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, and Rs 50. The stamp papers of low denominations are mandatory and play an important role in court works and for filing affidavits for scholarships etc and other legal documentation.

In fact, these stamp papers had been in short supply since Covid-19 lockdown leading to large-scale pending of legal works. After the lockdown was lifted people started visiting the sub-registrar offices and are now finding it difficult to get stamp papers. This has resulted in selling the stamp papers in black by some vendors. The shortage of lower denomination stamp paper has forced the people to opt for stamp papers of Rs 100 denomination for every application or document burning a bigger hole in their pockets. Though the Department of Registration and Stamps claims that Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50, and Rs 100 non-judicial are being provided, the situation is quite different at the sub-registrar offices and at stamp vendors.

T Vinod Kumar, who was trying to get stamp papers of lower denomination, said that officials say that now that everything had become digital, there was not much need for stamp papers of lower denomination but in reality, the situation is different at the offices of the sub-registrars. He said in the sub-registrar offices, excuses are made saying that the server was down and they ask us to get the documents on stamp papers. "Why introduce digital mode if the government cannot make it functional," he asked.