Losing out on revenue

Ranchi, Feb. 11: The advocate welfare stamps, which cost Rs 2.50 each and are required to be affixed on all affidavit papers, are not being sold properly in various parts of the state. While in some parts its counterfeit is on sale, its Bihar edition is available in other places.

Jharkhand State Bar Council president Bibhuti Prasad Pandey today said the matter come to light following the submission of an inquiry report by a two-member committee constituted by the council to know the actual sale status of advocate welfare stamps.

Pandey said: “The two-member committee comprising senior advocates A. Allam and A.K. Chaturvedi made us aware of the fact after submitting its report on December 15 last year.”

The panel, he added, pointed out in the report that while the sale of welfare stamps in Ranchi amounted to Rs 26 lakh in the past five years, the same was only Rs 140 for Gumla in the same period.

“Besides, the committee has also found low sale of welfare stamps in other parts of the state,” Pandey added.

Council vice-president S.K. Roy said the huge discrepancy in the records of Gumla and Ranchi pointed at irregularities in the sale of welfare stamps. “Rough calculations have estimated a loss of Rs 1 crore from the sale of fake welfare stamps in the state. We will be able to give a more detailed figure after comparing data available with the Bihar State Bar Council,” Roy added without making a copy of the report available to the media.

Pandey and Roy, in the news conference, said the matter would be discussed with the finance minister tomorrow with a request to ensure publication of welfare stamps for the state separately. The duo also said they would move the high court if necessary.