Yogi Govt to discontinue Rs 10 to Rs 25K physical stamp papers

Lucknow : In a key decision, the Yogi Cabinet, on Monday, approved phasing out Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 physical stamp papers, replacing them with e-stamps to enhance transparency and prevent irregularities. According to the decision, stamps worth over Rs 5,630 crore will be auctioned, with old stamps valid only until March 31, 2025.

The Yogi government approved 19 important proposals in the cabinet meeting held at Lok Bhavan on Monday. Following the meeting, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna announced that all the proposals were discussed and unanimously approved. These proposals cover crucial sectors such as health, education, transport, urban development, and employee welfare.

Among the other major decisions, the Cabinet approved the land transfer for establishing a medical college in Ballia, named after freedom fighter Chittu Pandey. Additionally, land was allocated for the first and second corridors of the Agra Metro Rail Project, the expansion of the Smart City Scheme, and an extension of the wheat procurement period at the support price set by the Central Government.

The Central Government has set the support price of wheat for the Rabi marketing year 2025-26 at Rs 2,425 per quintal. In line with this, the state government will establish around 6,500 procurement centers across Uttar Pradesh under the supervision of eight agencies, including the marketing branch of the Food Department.

The Cabinet also approved the free transfer of 14.05 acres of land to construct a medical college in Ballia. Out of this, 12.39 acres will be used for the college, while the remaining 2 acres, housing a statue of Chittu Pandey, will undergo beautification. The medical college will be named after the revered freedom fighter.

To establish a Nursing College in Bulandshahr, the Cabinet approved the free transfer of 4,570 square meters of land from the Government Agricultural School to the Medical Education Department. Located in Walipura village, this move addresses the lack of available land within the Autonomous State Medical College, Bulandshahr. Nursing colleges are being set up in 27 autonomous medical colleges across the state.

Furthermore, the Cabinet granted administrative and financial approval for the construction of an Obstetrics and Gynecology block at Uttar Pradesh Medical University in Saifai (Etawah). A pediatric block will also be included in the 300-bed hospital, with a budget of Rs 232.17 crore allocated for the project. This is an important initiative towards strengthening medical education and health services.

For the first corridor of the Agra Metro Rail Project of UP Metro Rail Corporation Limited, 8,684.68 square meters of land belonging to the Horticulture and Food Processing Department has been transferred free of cost to the Housing and Urban Planning Department.

Similarly, 20,753 square meters of land belonging to the Home Department has also been transferred free of cost to the Housing and Urban Planning Department for the second corridor. This land will be leased to the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation for 90 years at a token price of Rs 1, with a renewal provision of 30 years.

The Cabinet also extended the State Smart City Scheme for two more years, covering all 17 municipal corporations in Uttar Pradesh. Initially launched for five years, it is now being expanded under the State Smart City Mission.

The central government selected 10 smart cities in the state in 2019-20, while the state government also included seven cities: Ghaziabad, Meerut, Firozabad, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Shahjahanpur, and Gorakhpur. This expansion will provide new momentum to urban development.

Moreover, the Cabinet approved the transfer of 451.20 acres of land from closed spinning mills under the UP Cooperative Spinning Mills Sangh Limited in Kanpur to UPSIDA for industrial use free of cost. It has been decided to transfer 71.02 acres of land in Mahmudabad (Sitapur), 55.31 acres in Fatehpur, 85.24 acres in Mauaima (Prayagraj), 78.92 acres in Bahadurganj (Ghazipur), 82.15 acres in Kampil (Farrukhabad) and 78.56 acres in Bulandshahr to UPSIDA among the closed units of UP Cooperative Spinning Mills Association Limited Kanpur. New industrial units will be established on these lands.

The government also approved transfer of 0.8 hectares of land free of cost for setting up a Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) in Lucknow node of the Defence Industrial Corridor. This facility will serve as a common testing center for defense units in the region.

To promote tourism, the Cabinet approved free transfer of 0.850 hectares of barren government land to the Tourism Department to rejuvenate Maharishi Dadhichi Kund in Hardoi district.

Additionally, the Cabinet decided to extend the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission to seven employees of the Science and Technology Council who have been serving for 25 years.