CHANDIGARH: Haryana’s Chief Minister Nayab Saini announced on Wednesday the abolishment of stamp duty on residential plots measuring up to 50 square yards in urban areas and up to 100 square yards in rural locations.
“Effective immediately, stamp duty is now zero,” Saini declared.
This order applies to properties purchased under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana, and Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana.
Saini made these statements while addressing a motion from the opposition INLD regarding the recent increase in collector rates.
He accused the opposition of misleading the public about the revised rates.
The collector rate is the minimum price at which property registration can occur. Registration fees and stamp duties are determined based on these rates.
Saini informed the assembly that out of 246,812 segments in Haryana, only 10 percent of collector rates had increased in 72.01 percent of the areas.
The adjustments are based on a “data-driven and rational formula,” which analyzed the top 50 percent of property registrations within each segment.
In regions where registry values were 200 percent higher than the collector rate, the maximum increase was capped at 50 percent, he noted.
Despite these changes, collector rates in many places remain significantly below current market values.
Saini emphasized that this initiative aims to foster transparent transactions, reduce black money usage, and ensure the public can engage in property transactions at fair prices.
INLD’s Aditya Devi Lal expressed that the public is deeply dissatisfied with the increased collector rates, claiming they have made homeownership unattainable for many.
Devi Lal questioned, “Why burden everyday people, small traders, and farmers? The government should reverse these hikes.”
Saini countered by stating that during the opposition’s governance from 2004 to 2014, collector rates rose by an average of 25.11 percent while under the BJP from 2014 to 2025, the increase was only 9.69 percent.
He reiterated that no new registration tax has been introduced.
Stamp duty has consistently been 7 percent (including a 2 percent development fee) for men and 5 percent for women since 2008, with no changes made since then.
Taking a jab at the opposition, the Chief Minister asserted the real issue lies with those conducting land transactions using black money to evade stamp duty.
Saini explained that the revision of collector rates is a routine and transparent process that occurs annually and is aligned with market rates.
He cited instances from 2004-2014, when the Congress was in power, stating that rates could rise anywhere from 10 to 300 percent across various districts.
Specific examples included Faridabad, which saw rate increases of 300 percent in 2008 and 220 percent in 2011-12, and Karnal, which noted a 220 percent rise in 2012-13.
He accused the previous government of lacking a systematic approach to collector rate determination, favoring builders and the land mafia instead.
