Thousands will not be able to benefit from the scheme which is open only till March 1999. It was learnt that the authorities are likely to charge the regular steep fine of two per cent of the amount due per month to such defaulters. Sources further said that the response to the amnesty scheme has anyway been lukewarm with about 200 applications having come in since its introduction on December 1.

Under the amnesty scheme, defaulters of stamp duty would be charged a minimum token fine of Rs 300 if the stamp duty was paid within 60 days of the order. Political observers call the scheme a gimmick, as by refusing theapplications from those who have submitted their documents for registration, the stamp duty authorities are only favouring the cheaters.

According to Vinod Sampat of the Registration Fee and Stamp Duty Payers Association, there have also been several cases where housing society secretaries had misused questionnaires given by the stamp duty authorities to settle personal scores against members.

A secretary of a cooperative housing society at Goregaon is learnt to have given inflated figures of the carpet areas of several flats so that the flat owner would have to pay more. Around 14,000 odd housing societies were asked to furnish details regarding number of flats, area, purchase cost etc. Secretaries of these housing societies were asked to fill-up such forms.

Vivek Sthalekar of the Dahisar Flat Owners' Association commenting on the stamp duty authorities' high-handedness says, ``Notwithstanding the steep fall in property prices and the Centre's directives to all states to reduce stamp duty rates,Maharashtra revenue department has plans to hike the rates in its ready reckoner for the year 1999. This will only force people to live in slums.''

The proposal by the revenue authorities to increase stamp duty rates has come in for sharp criticism from various other quarters too.

President of Indian Merchants' Chamber, Y P Trivedi says: ``Any further hike in stamp duty forbodes doom for the ailing property market in the state. The 25 per cent hike in market value of properties which face a main road on both sides and 15 per cent for properties facing a main road on one side is in utter contempt to the Centre's directives.''

The new proposed ready reckoner (which lists area-wise market value) has allowed for a mere five per cent drop in market rates in the suburbs even though real estate values have crashed by 50 per cent said Trivedi.