Big policy shift in UP from midnight:8 rules change together, Ola and Uber face registration rule; farmers to benefit with ₹160 extra per quintal wheat

Today is March 31. After 12 midnight, several rules will change in Uttar Pradesh. These changes will affect areas like property registry, tax, and banking. People may see a direct impact on their daily lives. Here are 8 important rules you should know. 1. You will have to pay more toll tax on highways Toll rates on all National Highways passing through UP have been increased by 5 to 45 rupees. Additionally, NHAI has increased the annual FASTag pass fee from 3000 to 3075 rupees. Also, cash payments at National Highway toll plazas will be completely stopped. Payments will only be accepted via FASTag or UPI. 2. 2% extra development fee on the property registry Several rules have been changed in UP to prevent property fraud. Now, the identity of the property seller will be cross-checked with the Khatauni (land record). The Stamp and Registration Department will thoroughly investigate the ‘ownership rights’ of the property. Stamp duty will be charged based on the circle rate. An additional 2% development charge will have to be paid within the municipal corporation limits. Now, registration will have to be done within the allotted one-hour time. If missed, a new slot will have to be booked. Until now, a full day’s slot was available. 3. UPI will also be included in ATM withdrawals HDFC Bank will now also count UPI withdrawals in free ATM withdrawals. This means that customers who withdraw via UPI at an ATM will also be considered an ATM withdrawal. Currently, the bank offers 5 free ATM withdrawals per month. After this, ?23 will have to be paid for every extra withdrawal. Punjab National Bank has changed the daily transaction limits for some of its debit cards. Based on the card category, customers will now be able to withdraw up to ?50,000 to ?75,000 daily. Bandhan Bank ATM users will get 3 free transactions per month, while this limit will be 5 transactions at other bank ATMs. After crossing the limit, a charge of ?23 will be applied. Additionally, if a transaction fails due to insufficient funds in the account, a penalty of ?25 will be charged. 1. Wheat MSP will increase by 160 rupees The UP government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat procurement in 2026-27 to 2585 rupees/quintal. This is 160 rupees more than last year. Additionally, farmers will receive an extra 20 rupees/quintal for unloading, sieving, and cleaning the wheat. This means a total of 2605 rupees will be paid to the farmer for one quintal of wheat. 2. Ola-Uber will not operate without registration After amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act, companies like Ola-Uber will now be required to register in UP. The registration will need to be renewed after 5 years. Now, if both the cab driver and passenger cancel a booking, a 10% penalty of the fare will be imposed. Police verification, medical test, and fitness test for drivers have also been made mandatory. 3. Aadhaar Card Not Valid as Age Proof for PAN Card If your name is written differently on your PAN card and Aadhaar card, your PAN card will be deactivated. In such a case, you might face difficulty claiming a refund. Additionally, Aadhaar card will not be valid as age proof for getting a new PAN card. To prove your age, you will have to provide a birth certificate or a high school marksheet/certificate. 4. Landlord’s PAN Required for HRA Exemption The Income Tax Act-2025 will come into force. It will replace the nearly 60-year-old Income Tax Act-1961. Now, if you pay more than ?1 lakh in rent annually, you will have to provide your landlord’s PAN card. This essential information will need to be provided in the new Form-124. The aim is to curb fraudulent House Rent Allowance (HRA) claims. Additionally, in Income Tax, there will now be only one ‘Tax Year’ instead of ‘Financial Year’ and ‘Assessment Year’. 5. Charges will be deducted for cancelling railway tickets New rules regarding train ticket cancellation will come into effect. Now, if you cancel a ticket 72 hours before the train’s departure, only a flat charge will be deducted. In this case, you will receive the maximum refund. If you cancel a ticket between 72 hours and 24 hours before the train’s departure, 25% of the fare will be deducted, and if cancelled between 24 hours and 8 hours, 50% of the fare will be deducted for the refund. However, no refund will be given if cancelled less than 8 hours before departure.