Stamping out stamp racket
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 18, 2013 -

Selling of non-judicial stamp papers, which are supposed to be sold only through licensed vendors, at a much higher rate than the actual cost in the thriving black market in Manipur is not a new thing.

However, it has remained a non-issue as these innocuous looking stamp papers are not something which are required by most of the people in their day-to-day living like the food they eat or the cloth they wear or the petrol of their vehicles.

It's only when somebody has to execute a sale deed or get a rent agreement or more commonly, prepare an affidavit for some purposes that they come to know how serious an issue it is.

But with most people remaining oblivious to the seriousness of the issue, selling of non-judicial stamps in Manipur continues to thrive in black market, thus, forcing the people who need them to shell out extra money on purchasing them both from the licensed as well as unlicensed vendors spread across the State.

All these under-dealings and day light robbery are being carried out unhindered despite existence of Government regulations for selling these stamp papers only through some select licensed vendors.

Interestingly, this unfair practice is thriving in some vendors located within the premises of law court as well. So much for litigation and deliverance of justice!

It has been learnt that the Revenue Department is the sole authority for issuing the vendor license for selling non-judicial stamps in Manipur and these licensed vendors get a part of the profit from selling them while the remaining larger chunk goes to the coffer of the Department.

So, it becomes duty bound for the Department to monitor the operation of these licensed vendors as well. Laying back and closing eyes after the vendor licenses have been issued is not going to be of any help in ameliorating the problems being faced by the people.

Apart from black marketers involving in selling non-judicial stamp papers at a higher rate, there have also been cases where lower denomination stamps of Rs 5, Rs 10 or Rs 20 disappearing completely from making them available through the licensed vendors, thus, forcing the people again to buy stamp papers of higher denomination and pay more than what is actually necessary for their required works.

This problem could be solve easily if the officials of the department responsible for distribution of the stamps keep a close tab on the number of stamps sold through the licensed vendors at the time of collecting the revenue from them on regular basis.

All these suggestions may seem useless when the racket of selling non-judicial stamps in Manipur has already fallen into the hands of black marketers.

But all that would require for stamping out the racket is just an iota of social responsibility on the part of the officials dealing with distribution of the stamps.