Conservation of cows in Rajasthan will entail a cost for those making rent agreements, mortgage papers and lease agreement as they will now pay a surcharge of 10 per cent on stamp duty for cow protection.
The surcharge has been imposed on all non-judicial instruments for the conservation and propagation of cows in BJP-ruled Rajasthan.
Following Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje announcement in Budget 2017-18, the state's Finance Department has imposed surcharge on all such instruments that are non-judicial in nature, an order of which was released on March 31.
"In exercise of the powers conferred of the Rajasthan Stamp Act, 1998 and in supersession of this department's notification, state government hereby order surcharge at the rate of 10 per cent on stamp duty payable on all instruments for the purposes of conservation and propagation of cow and its progeny," states the order.
In her budget speech last year, Raje had proposed surcharge for development of basic infrastructure facilities and protection and propagation of cows.
However, judicial stamps, revenue ticket and insurance ticket have been excluded from this order.
Last month, Punjab government had also given the nod for a cow cess in some cities. The cess in Punjab would be applicable on items like automobiles and utilities like electricity.
The decision by the Rajasthan government comes in the backdrop of the terrifying incident of a Muslim man being thrashed to death by alleged ‘cow vigilantes’ in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.
The mob accused him of smuggling cattle, however, the receipts of purchasing milch cows have concluded that he was a dairy farmer.
