GUWAHATI: The All Assam Stamp Vendor Association has demanded the continued use of stamp paper and has urged the State Government to use stamp paper alongside e-stamps, stating that e-stamp alone cannot cater sufficiently to the demands.
The Stamp Vendor Association has also appealed to the Government to increase the supply of stamp paper stating that its supply is about five times less than the demand, which cannot be fulfilled by e-stamp.
Bipul Hazarika, Secretary of the Association told G Plus that there has been an order for stamp vendors to take e-stamping machines. "Under Digital India, the Government is promoting e-stamping and as per our knowledge, the stamp papers will gradually be done away with. We want to inform the Government that an e-stamp is not very feasible in a state like Assam. Also, there are about 6,000 vendors in Assam and the Government must consider their welfare."
The Association has highlighted that citizens still prefer stamp paper for smaller denominations.
"About 80 percent of citizens prefer physical paper. The process of procuring an e-stamp is not smooth due to inefficient internet connectivity and counters. People queue for hours to get an e-stamp as it takes time to generate just one stamp, which is not feasible for urgent situations," the members of the Association stated.