Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly has passed the Indian Stamp (Odisha Amendment) Bill, 2026, bringing in changes to simplify and streamline the registration and transfer process for apartment units in the state.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari presented the Bill in the Assembly.

The amendment has sought to simplify the transfer of common areas and facilities in apartment projects, reduce the financial burden on apartment owners and safeguard the state government's revenue interests.

Under the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023, common areas and facilities of an apartment project are required to be transferred by the promoter to the Association of Allottees through a registered instrument before individual apartment units are transferred. These common areas and facilities include the project land, garages, staircases, lifts and other shared amenities.

However, the stamp duty applicable to the transfer of these common areas and facilities has resulted in an additional financial burden on apartment owners. To simplify the process, the government has proposed an amendment to Article 23(c) of Schedule I-A of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.

Under the amendment, a nominal stamp duty of ₹50,000 will be charged on the instrument transferring common areas and facilities from the promoter to the Association of Allottees.

Subsequently, the undivided proportionate share in the common areas will be included in the individual apartment transfer document, on which stamp duty will be charged at a uniform rate of 5 per cent.

The registration fee for the transfer of common areas and facilities in an apartment project had earlier been capped at ₹20,000.

Uniform 5% stamp duty for apartments

The Bill also introduced simplification of the existing slab-based stamp duty structure for individual apartment transfers.

At present, stamp duty is charged at 3 per cent for apartments valued up to ₹5 lakh, 4 per cent for those valued between ₹5 lakh and ₹15 lakh, and 5 per cent for apartments valued above ₹15 lakh.

The amendment seeks to replace these slabs with a uniform 5 per cent stamp duty rate for the transfer of all apartment units.

The government has already provided a 90 per cent exemption on stamp duty and registration fees for houses available under affordable housing schemes for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

As a result, the earlier 3 per cent and 4 per cent stamp duty rates applicable to EWS housing costing up to ₹15 lakh are no longer applicable after the 90 per cent exemption, according to the government.

The amendment was earlier issued as an ordinance and published in the Odisha Gazette. After the Assembly passed the amendment, it replaces the ordinance and come into force as the Indian Stamp (Odisha Amendment) Act, 2026.