Telangana govt mulls stamp duty rejig; relief for women on cards

HYDERABAD: The Congress govt is preparing to introduce a new stamp duty policy aimed at increasing transparency in property transactions and protecting public interest, especially in the real estate sector.Among the key proposals under consideration are reductions in stamp duty for women and on older apartments, based on their registration dates. Currently, both old and new apartments are treated the same, a structure the govt now sees as inequitable.

Disclosing these plans during a review meeting with department officials at the secretariat, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said the govt intends to table the Telangana stamp amendment bill, 2025 during the upcoming assembly session.'Updated version'The meeting was attended by CMO principal secretary V Sheshadri, revenue secretary Lokesh Kumar, and senior officials from the law and registration and stamps departments. Officials informed the minister that a previous stamp amendment bill passed by the assembly in 2021, which proposed changes to four sections and 26 articles, had been returned by the Centre in Jan 2023 after objections, despite the state's clarifications.

In light of this, Ponguleti said the 2021 bill will be formally withdrawn, and a new, updated version will be introduced to reflect current needs and realities.He directed officials to ensure that the new legislation is citizen-friendly, legally robust, and free from ambiguities. The minister also stressed that land market value revisions must be aligned with real-time market conditions, but without escalating property costs disproportionately. However, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy clarified that the final decision on the draft bill will be taken by chief minister Revanth Reddy.