Supreme Court Overturns Jharkhand Memo Simplifying Property Transactions

The Supreme Court struck down a 2009 Jharkhand government directive that imposed extra requirements on cooperative societies seeking stamp-duty exemptions. The Court termed these additional hurdles as 'unnecessary' and emphasized that simplicity in public transactions reflects good governance. The decision overturned lower court judgments upholding the directive.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India has invalidated a 2009 directive issued by the Jharkhand government, which added onerous requirements on cooperative societies seeking stamp-duty exemptions. This decision underscores the Supreme Court's commitment to promoting simplicity as a cornerstone of good governance.

A judicial bench headed by Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar emphasized that the imposition of excessive requirements violates the principles of administrative law. They ruled that such directives are illegal and distract from the rule of law's intent to ensure clear and efficient public transactions.

The contentious directive required an additional layer of verification for cooperative societies, a step deemed redundant. By setting aside the Jharkhand High Court's prior approval of the directive, the apex court has cleared the path for Adarsh Sahkari Grih Nirman Swawlambe Society Limited, enabling smoother property transactions.

(With inputs from agencies.)