Maharashtra Makes Monthly Audit Mandatory For Stamp Duty Exemptions Amid Controversy Over ₹300-Crore Mundhwa Land Deal

Pune: The Maharashtra Registration and Stamps Department has made it mandatory for all registration offices to send copies of documents registered in the previous month, where stamp duty exemption or concession was granted, to the Stamp Duty Collector by the 5th of every month.

The directive was issued against the backdrop of the controversial Rs 300 crore Mundhwa land deal involving the firm of Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The stamp duty of Rs 21 crore on the transaction had been allegedly waived.

The order, issued by Rajendra Muthe, Joint Inspector General Registration, stated, "Sub-Registrars must send copies of all documents registered in the previous month -- where stamp duty exemption or concession was granted -- to the Stamp Duty Collector by the 5th of every month. They must also verify that such exemptions were granted as per the applicable Government Resolutions." The Stamp Duty Collector, in turn, shall scrutinise these documents by the 10th of every month, confirm whether the correct stamp duty was levied, and initiate action wherever discrepancies are found.

Parth Pawar's firm Amadea Enterprises LLP, through its partner Digvijay Patil, allegedly purchased 40 acres of government land in Mundhwa area of Pune from Shital Tejwani who held a power of attorney on behalf of 272 people, erstwhile owners of the land.

The land, being a government property, could not be legally sold, yet the sale deed was executed.

Sub-registrar R B Taru allegedly facilitated the sale deed. After the irregularities came to light, a First Information Report was registered against Patil, Tejwani and Taru.

Ajit Pawar later said that the deal had been scraped. But the registration and stamp department sent a notice to Amadea LLP, stating that before cancelling the deed, the firm will have to pay double the stamp duty which comes to around Rs 42 crore.

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