Govt cancels stamp duty waiver granted to RSS-linked institute

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has cancelled the previous BJP-led government's decision granting stamp duty waiver to an RSS-affiliated research institute in Nagpur, an official said on Thursday.

The decision was taken by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Wednesday, he said.

The Nagpur-based Research for Resurgence Foundation, founded by Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal which is an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), purchased huge tracts of land in Karol tehsil there, the government official said.

On September 9, the then state government led by Devendra Fadnavis granted the institute exemption from payment of stamp duty and registration charges for the land deal.

"The relaxation given on stamp duty of Rs 1.5 crore for the purchase of 105 hectares of land has been now cancelled. The institute will now have to pay the stamp duty," the official said.

A state Cabinet meeting was held here on Wednesday where 34 decisions taken by the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government in its last days also came up for discussion, sources earlier said.

After the meeting, state minister Eknath Shinde said the new government will assess status of the ongoing infrastructure projects undertaken by the previous BJP-Shiv Sena dispensation.

He also said that the Thackeray-led MVA government will not act against anyone in a prejudiced manner.