Shortage of Rs 500 Stamp Paper: Citizens Permitted To Use Five Rs 100 Papers for Official Transactions

Pune, 13th November 2024: The Maharashtra State Government recently mandated the use of ₹500 stamp papers for various official and legal documents. However, a shortage of ₹500 stamp papers has been reported in the market. To address this issue, the Registration and Stamp Duty Department has authorized the use of five ₹100 stamp papers as an alternative when ₹500 papers are unavailable. Authorized stamp sellers have also been instructed to ease the inconvenience for citizens.

Previously, ₹100 to ₹200 stamp papers were commonly used for tasks like affidavits and rights waivers that did not involve government offices, with annual sales reaching approximately 8 to 10 lakh units. However, the Registration and Stamp Duty Department highlighted that lower denominations did not cover printing costs. As a result, the department proposed an increase, which the State Government approved in September through an amendment to the Maharashtra Stamp Act.

Currently, ₹500 stamp paper is required for most non-governmental transactions instead of the previously accepted ₹100 or ₹200 papers. Yet, due to limited supply, a shortage of ₹500 stamp papers has been observed in recent days.