Hakeem condemns imposition of stamp duty on purchase of land by females

Jammu, Jan 26: Former Revenue Minister and Chairman PDF Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has castigated Governor administration for levying 3 percent of the market value as stamp duty on registration of land in the name of females who were totally exempted from any such registration fees till now. He said SRO 82 issued by the Government in this regard yesterday was grossly against the spirit and policy of women empowerment.
In a statement issued to media, Hakeem Yaseen said that not only stamp duty has been arbitrarily imposed on purchase of land by a female member of a family but the stamp duty on all registrations has also been increased from existing five per cent to seven percent in both urban as well as rural areas.
He said that the SRO 82 of the Finance Department issued yesterday by the government orders imposition of three percent stamp duty on the market value of land and area in both urban and rural areas if the land is registered on the name of a female member of the family who were earlier 100 percent free from any stamp duty levied on purchase of land or estate vide SRO 219 of May 18, 2018.
“This remission of stamp duty on females for purchase of land was hailed as a landmark decision towards empowerment of women folk,” Hakeem Yaseen said, adding that the SRO 82 issued now was a cruel joke with female folk which is highly condemnable
Hakeem Yaseen has sought intervention of the Governor S P Malik to revoke this arbitrary order to douse rising flames of anger and agitation among the women folk and civil society.
Hakeem Yaseen said that through SRO 82, the Government has raised stamp duty on registration of land or estate within urban and rural areas from five percent to seven percent which was an anti people decision.