Decide on surcharges on card transactions: HC asks govt

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Delhi High Court today asked thegovernment to decide on the issue of surcharges levied ontransactions done through debit and credit cards across thecountry. A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice SangitaDhingra passed the direction on a plea which claimed that suchcharges were "unlawful" and "discriminatory" and credit ordebit card transactions should be incentivised. "We direct respondents (Ministry of Finance and ReserveBank of India) to decide the issue raised in the writ petitionin a reasonable amount of time. They will also consider thepresent writ petition as a representation and pass an order,"the court said. While disposing of the plea, it further said the decisionshould be communicated to petitioner, advocate Amit Sahni. The lawyer had moved the court seeking direction to frameguidelines in order to prevent "unlawful" and "discriminatory"surcharges being levied on debit and credit card transactions. Maintaining that India was one of the most cash-intensiveeconomies in the world, he said there was an urgent need toincentivise credit or debit card transactions and dis-incentivise cash transactions. Sahni, in his PIL, said the "unlawful, unequal andarbitrary treatment is visible on the payment of petrolcharges through credit and debit cards". The petitioner had also said the ministry and RBI were"responsible for making rules/guidelines and for monitoringbanks across the country". He also claimed that the surcharge was not only illegal,but was discriminatory too as it also promoted circulation ofblack money as surcharges were not imposed on cash payments. "The petitioner has noticed that illegal, unequal andarbitrary treatment is seen across the country on transactionsbeing done through credit and debit cards by levying surchargeat the rate of 2.5 per cent or more, while such surcharge isnot levied when the payment of such transaction is done bymaking cash payment in that regard…," the plea had said. PTIPPS HMPARC