Haryana Abolishes Stamp Duty for Residential Plots Up to 50 and 100 Square Yards

Haryana's Chief Minister Nayab Saini has abolished stamp duty on residential plots up to 50 square yards in urban areas and 100 square yards in rural areas. This decision applies to properties under various housing schemes and aims to ease the financial burden on homebuyers.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini announced the removal of stamp duty on residential plots up to 50 square yards in urban areas and 100 square yards in rural regions. This change is effective immediately. The exemption applies to properties purchased under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana, and Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana.

Saini made this announcement while addressing a motion by the opposition INLD concerning recent collector rate hikes. He accused the opposition of misleading the public about these revised rates. The collector rate is the minimum value for property registration in government records, influencing registration fees and stamp duty.

Collector Rate Adjustments and Public Concerns

The chief minister explained that out of 2,46,812 segments in Haryana, only 72.01% experienced a 10% increase in collector rates. This adjustment follows a data-driven approach, analysing the top 50% of property registries in each segment. In cases where registry values were 200% higher than collector rates, increases were capped at 50%.

Despite these adjustments, collector rates remain below actual market prices in most areas. This aligns with the government's goal of promoting transparent transactions and curbing black money. Saini stated, "This step aligns with the government's objective of promoting transparent transactions and good governance, curbing black money, and enabling the public to transact property at real and fair prices."

Opposition's Criticism and Government's Response

INLD member Aditya Devi Lal expressed public dissatisfaction over increased collector rates, arguing they make housing unaffordable for ordinary people. He questioned why the government burdens common people, small traders, and farmers with these hikes. He urged the government to reconsider these increased rates.

Saini countered that during the opposition's rule from 2004 to 2014, collector rates rose by an average of 25.11%, compared to only 9.69% under the BJP government from 2014 to 2025. He emphasised that no new registration tax has been introduced.

Historical Context and Current Policies

Saini highlighted that since 2008, stamp duty has been set at 7%, including a 2% development fee for men and 5% for women, with no changes to these rates. He criticised individuals using black money in land deals to avoid stamp duty as the real issue behind rate increases.

The chief minister described the revision of collector rates as a routine process conducted annually based on market prices. During Congress's rule from 2004 to 2014, rates increased by 10% to 300% across districts without a clear formula.

Saini cited examples like Faridabad's rate hike by 300% in 2008 and Karnal's increase by 220% in 2012-13. He alleged that Congress favoured builders and land mafias without a systematic approach to setting collector rates.

With inputs from PTI