KARACHI, July 28: Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro has approved the levy of stamp duty on 64 conveyance deeds of agricultural land at the rate of Rs300 per square yard after allowing 50 per cent remission as per section 9 of the Stamp Act 1899.

Mr Soomro has also approved the recommendations of the governor’s inspection team, whereby the task to prepare policy and amendments to the relevant has been assigned to the secretary (revenue), Board of Revenue, and director survey and settlements/inspector-general of registration. However, this may take a considerable time.

Meanwhile, 30 more documents of agricultural land have been retained and more are expected as transactions take place for which a policy decision on the same pattern of the aforesaid 64 conveyance deeds is required.

The registration, stamp and evacuee property wing of the Board of Revenue has proposed the following steps in the best interests of the holders of form VII owning agricultural land in a total urban Karachi city district government:

(a) 50 per cent remission be granted for all such cases, pending or otherwise as per section 9 of the Stamp Act 1899; (b) the facility shall be notified and be effective for 30 days only; (c) thereafter, full rate of stamp duty and registration fee shall be levied/charged/imposed as on the rate of the land considered urban; (d) the relief of 50 per cent remission would facilitate payment of stamp duty in many of the cases, including the pending 30 cases and more anticipated similar cases; (e) this will be one time relief.

(f) it would once and for all close the chapter of an unholy alliance between the builders and developers on one side, and revenue and registration officers on the other, to make hay and mint money at the cost of the provincial exchequer by plugging the loopholes legally and withdrawing their discretionary powers;

(g) the powerful builders and developers mafia may resort to litigations, which may result in the capping of monetary gains, otherwise dormant for years to come. There is at present only one suit No 363 of 2002 filed before the High Court of Sindh;

(h) in the presence of a legal cover under a statute, litigation, abinitio shall have no locus standi, and

(i) in case, the holders of form VII of agricultural land do not avail of the opportunity after city government’s jurisdiction being declared urban, the land utilization department may be# advised to look into these cases for cancellation/withdrawal of lease/tenants/ownership/allotments etc., whatever the case be, as most of the beneficiaries are open, blatant and crude violators of terms and conditions of form VII and its possession rights. As such, hundred of acres of land shall either be retrieved or hundreds of millions of rupees will be parading towards the provincial exchequer, having never been before.—APP