Inspectors have started an audit of stamp paper sellers in RY Khan to stop irregular practices, said Muhammad Qasir Hayat, chief inspector (stamps) at the Punjab Board of Revenue, on Thursday.
He said the issue was highlighted by Punjab Stamp Sellers President Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad, who had complained that unlicensed stamp sellers were affecting their legitimate businesses.
The chief inspector said that the District Collector (Revenue) Syed Wajid Ali Shah had ordered an audit of the stamp sellers. He said the district collector has also sought a report on the audit within a week. Talking to The Express Tribune, Hayat said that strict action would be taken against those selling stamps at places other than those designated by the Revenue Department.
He said there were 400 stamp sellers in Rahim Yar Khan district with around 92 in Rahim Yar Khan city alone. Around 100 of these stamp sellers, he said, were working from their homes. He said land grabbers and opposition parties in property cases manage to get back-dated stamp papers from these sellers.
Due to the lack of an audit, he said, these stamp sellers were able to sell hand-stamped papers, even though the government had introduced computerised stamps. These are then presented in the courts as evidence, he said.
District Collector Syed Wajid Ali Shah told The Express Tribune that licences of two stamp sellers had already been cancelled.
Punjab Stamp Sellers President Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad has also requested the chief minister and District Coordination Officer Nabeel Javed to take action against illegal stamp sellers.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2012.
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