Temple management to pay 3.75 crore as stamp duty

The management of an under-construction temple in Vrindavan has been asked by the district authorities to pay about Rs 3.75 crore as stamp fee, which it allegedly tried to skip earlier.
    
According to the order passed by District Magistrate Dinesh Chandra Shukla, "Prem temple at Vrindavan, being constructed at the cost of several crores, would pay stamp fee of Rs 3.25 crore which it had not paid earlier. The temple trust would also pay interest at the rate of 1.5 per cent on it, which comes out to be over Rs 50 lakh".
    
A donation deed was registered by one person, Gulab Rai Bansdani, the treasurer of Sri Shyam Dham Samiti Kripal Kunj Raman Reti Vrindaban in favour of Kanta Prasad Verma, the secretary of Jagadguru Kripalu kunj Parishad trust on December 31, 2008 by paying stamp fee of Rs 1.19 crore.
    
At the time of the payment of stamp fee, no reference was made about the temple.
    
The matter came to the light a few months back by some social activists alleging that less stamp fee was paid since costly Italian stones have been used.
    
The valuation of the property, including constructed part of the temple, made by a five-member committee constituted by the then District Magistrate Anita C Meshram was Rs 46 crore.     

Meanwhile, efforts to contact Verma turned futile.