The Hindu : Vigil will be enhanced to curb sale of fake stamp papers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 20, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Vigil will be enhanced to curb sale of fake stamp papers

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI April 19 . As several MLAs complained of shortage of stamp papers and circulation of fake ones in Tamil Nadu, the Revenue Minister, N. Thalavai Sundaram, today assured the Assembly that vigil would be stepped up to check sale of counterfeit stamp papers.

Criminal cases were being registered against those selling fake stamp papers and campaigns would be launched among the public to create an awareness of the existing facility of paying the stamp duty in cash or by cheque, instead of buying stamp papers.

Replying to the debate on demand for grants for the Revenue and Registration departments, the Minister, who represents the Kanyakumari constituency, offered a sop for his district.

The circular issued by the Inspector-General of Registration in 1999 fixing the land value for house sites three times higher than that of nearby agricultural land would be withdrawn as a ``relief to the local people''.

The Registration department would become fully computerised by the current financial year with just 300 offices of Sub-Registrars and District Registrars yet to be computerised.

Seismic observatories

In the wake of ``frequent tremors'' in Tamil Nadu in recent times, four seismic observatories of accuracy level-1 would be set up at Kavalur, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchi and Keeranur.

The Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India was expected to supply equipment free of cost for three observatories, while the State would provide land and infrastructure for all the four observatories and equipment for the Ramanathapuram observatory as well at a cost of Rs. 52 crores.

With 15 districts including Erode, Madurai and Ramanathapuram reporting more than 20 per cent deficient rainfall during last monsoon, the Government decided to sanction Rs. 31.27 crores from the Calamity Relief Fund for tackling drinking water scarcity there.

In a bid to upgrade the infrastructure of district administration, a master plan complex at Perambalur and camp office-cum-residences for Collectors and District Revenue officers would be constructed.

`Withdraw GO 150'

Most of the MLAs, who participated in the debate on the Revenue department, urged the Government to withdraw GO 150, which stipulated that unapproved layouts be given approval provided the local bodies gave a no- objection certificate. The TMC MLAs, S. Balakrishnan and C. Gnanasekaran, M. Appavu (Independent), and G. Raviraj (PMK) demanded that the GO be scrapped so that the public got approval for their property without hassle.

But, there was no positive response from the Minister.

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