Finance department directive to do away with application fees

GUWAHATI: The Finance Department of Assam Government has issued a directive to all state government departments to immediately do away with the process of collection of application fees.

The move comes after it was noticed that some government departments continue to collect such application fee through treasury challans, said a government press release today.

For each treasury challan, the state government has to pay as RBI agency charges Rs 50 for each transaction and Rs 12 for each e-transaction, the release said.

The state government is thus losing a huge amount from the state exchequer every month in the form of agency charge against each such receipt, the release said, adding, it has not only been costing the state exchequer but also hampering the day-to-day treasury works.

However, departments which collect License Fee, Registration Fee and fines, below Rs 50 have been asked to consider suitably to enhance the rates so that the government does not have to incur loss in payment of agency charges as fixed by the RBI.

The government had earlier imposed a restriction on collection of application fee through treasury challan or otherwise for payment of such fee by applicants, it said.