It is true that the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, is a Central Act which is applicable throughout India for a cheque dishonour case.
However, States have their own separate Court Fee Acts which govern as to how much court fee is to be paid for a particular type of court proceeding or case.
For example, Maharashtra has the Bombay Court-Fees Act, 1959, which lays down court fee rates for various types of proceedings in courts in Maharashtra.
Likewise, in Tamil Nadu, there is a separate law, namely, the Tamil Nadu Court-fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1955, which governs the court fee rates in Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, other states have their own court fee Acts.
It is due to this reason that different states have different court fee for a cheque bounce case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Dr. Ashok Dhamija is a New Delhi based Supreme Court Advocate and author of law books. Read more about him by clicking here. List of his Forum Replies. List of his other articles. List of his Quora Answers. List of his YouTube Videos.