BJP slams Himachal CM Sukhu over steep stamp duty hike on legal papers

Résumé détaillé

Himachal Pradesh BJP criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu over the stamp duty increase. The party said higher legal-document fees would deepen the public's financial burden.

The Himachal Pradesh BJP has criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu over the increase in stamp duty, alleging that the Congress government's economic policies are placing an additional burden on the public, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

State BJP spokesperson Ajay Rana said the higher charges would affect people completing affidavits, agreements, property documents and other legal formalities. He demanded an immediate review of the increase and economic relief for the public.

In a statement, Rana claimed that the stamp duty for some documents and legal procedures had risen from Rs 100 to as much as Rs 1,000, amounting to a tenfold increase.

The Himachal Pradesh government revised the stamp duty through the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Act, 2026, in September. The revised rates came into effect on October 28, raising fees by up to ten times for specific legal documents, affidavits and general power of attorney services, PTI reported.

Rana alleged that the Congress government was trying to raise revenue by increasing official fees and was effectively "picking the pockets of the public".

"What crime have the people of this state committed that the burden of every economic crisis is being placed upon them? Why does the government appear to rely solely on extracting higher fees from the public, rather than developing new resources to increase its own revenue?" he said in the statement.

Rana said people were already dealing with inflation, unemployment and economic hardship, and claimed that the stamp duty increase was likely to worsen their financial difficulties.

He accused the Congress government of prioritising fee increases in the name of raising revenue while failing to show results in financial management, reducing unnecessary expenditure and developing alternative sources of income.

"Increase in stamp duty is not merely a matter of revenue; it directly impacts the everyday legal and administrative requirements of the common…

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