Jamshedpur, May 13: The state is facing an acute shortage of non-judicial stamp papers of lower denominations for the past three months.

Clients are forced to buy non-judicial stamp papers of Rs 100 denomination since those of lower denominations are not available.

Court work has been hit hard across the state due to the non-availability of stamp papers of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 denominations.

Those pursuing judicial work in the civil courts, government offices and banks have to run from pillar to post for non-judicial stamp papers of lower denominations.

Sources in the registration department said the crisis is due to a short supply of stamp papers of lower denominations from Hyderabad-based Government Security Press. Despite several reminders to the authorities , the state is yet to receive stamp papers of the lower denominations.

Additional-inspector-general (registration) Rajendra Rai said the Government Security Press in Hyderabad is the sole agency to print the non-judicial stamp papers of denominations below Rs 500.

?The problem arose because of short supply of non-judicial stamp papers of lower denominations from Hyderabad. We have sent at least five reminders to the authorities but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The printing press authorities want to abolish the non-judicial stamp papers of lower denominations due to the high cost of printing,? said Rai.

The state, on an average, requires non-judicial stamp papers worth over Rs 7 crore every month. The state registration department has mooted some alternative arrangements to tackle the present crisis, but it requires a nod from the cabinet.

?In other states, there is the provision of franking machine, which embosses denominations up to Rs 50 over a dummy paper. It is being treated on a par with non-judicial stamp papers,? said Rai, adding that similar arrangements in the state required the cabinet?s clearance.

Officials sources said they were flooded with requests from the district treasuries across the state to provide them with non-judicial stamp papers at the earliest as there is demand for it has soared.

East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni said they have sent several reminders to the registration department to rush non-judicial stamp papers of lower denomination.

An advocate of the Jamshedpur court, Suresh Chandra Chowdhary, said his clients are forced to buy non-judicial stamp papers of Rs 100 denomination since such papers of lower denominations are not available.

?Affidavits are done on stamp papers worth Rs 5. But, due to the crisis, clients have to spend an additional Rs 95 to make an affidavit,? he added.