While Delhi is scheduled  to migrate to e-stamping system completely - in all denominations - from August 1, the government has planned to set up more than 3000 authorised collection centres (ACCs), where citizens can easily pay the stamp fee electronically even to the lowest denomination of Rs 10.   

Currently, the citizens access stamp papers from roughly 800 stamp vendors in the Capital. Now that the electronic mode will replace paper system absolutely, the 3000 plus authorised collection centres (ACC) will offer smart service to the citizens, in place of the vendors.

The information was provided by a senior Delhi government official who wished to speak on the condition of anonymity.  “Now the citizens will not have to take the risk of carrying cash for the stamp duty payment. By July end, the target is to have 1500 e-stamping centres or ACCs and in another two to three months there will be more than 3000 such centres across Delhi,” he said.

The centres are working as an extended arm of the Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd (SHCIL), the nodal agency overseeing the implementation of e-stamping and collection of fee on behalf of the government, pan India. Relaxing the norms for being an ACC in March this year, the Delhi government had issued a public notice, stating the need "to empanel such individual, stamp vendor, deed writer, bank, corporate entities" as ACC of the SHCIL.

Hitherto, the e-stamping facility was available for stamps of denomination Rs 501 and above. Only a bank or a post office could become an ACC in this denomination. Presently, the three ACCs working in this category- the corporation bank, bank of Baroda and central bank of India – have altogether 82 centres in Delhi.

While the opening up of the ACC space and moving completely on e-stamping in all denomination will make Delhi a pioneer in this area, it will enable 24x7 services availability to the Delhi residents. Moreover, according to the official, e-stamping has better security features, which the manual stamping lacked completely.

This would avoid further repetition of the infamous Rs 20,000 crore Telgi scam, since the manual system lacks a standard authentication mechanism, the officer said. The government would save around Rs 10 crore annually on printing and transportation cost of stamp papers, he further added.