Raje government imposes 10 per cent cow protection' tax
Judicial stamps, revenue ticket and insurance ticket have been excluded from this new surcharge.
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has started charging a 10 per cent “cow protection tax” on non-judicial stamp duty transactions.
The finance department last week issued the order for the 10 per cent surcharge, in line with chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s tax proposals for fiscal 2018.
“Surcharge for development of basic infrastructure facilities and protection and propagation of cow and its progeny shall be levied on all instruments included in the Schedule to the Rajasthan Stamp Act, 1998,” Ms Raje had said in her Budget speech.
Non-judicial instruments bought for drawing up rent agreement, mortgage paper, lease agreement, power of attorney and similar agreements will cost more.
Judicial stamps, revenue ticket and insurance ticket have been excluded from this new surcharge.
The “cow protection” tax is in addition to the existing 10 per cent surcharge for infrastructure development.
The move to impose the new surcharge came after a Cabinet sub-committee, formed in 2016 to find ways for funding cow protection programmes, gave several suggestions.
Hundreds of cow have also died due to alleged mismanagement at the government-run Hingonia Goshala.