PDP-BJP decision exempting women from stamp duty on land reversed

Govt raises duty to 7% for male members
3 pc charges imposed on females

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 25: The Governor’s administration has reversed historic decision of previous PDP-BJP Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti, by which stamp duty on registration of land anywhere on the name of women was fully exempted, by issuing a fresh Notification today under which three percent stamp duty on market value of land or area will be charged from the females for registration of land on their names in both urban and rural areas.
The Notification issued by the Finance Department was set to cause major embarrassment to the BJP, which was partner in coalition Government with the PDP when the order was issued, as the State was presently under the Central rule.
Further, the Government has also increased stamp duty on all registrations from five per cent to seven percent in both urban as well as rural areas,
SRO 82 of the Finance Departm-ent issued today by Principal Secretary Navin K Choudhary ordered imposition of three percent stamp duty on the market value of land and area in both urban and rural areas if the land is registered on the name of a female member of the family.
SRO 219 issued on May 18,2018 by the Finance Department during the tenure of previous PDP-BJP Government had ordered 100 percent remission of stamp duty levied on land or estate, if purchased on the name of a female member of the family.
Though the SRO 82 was issued today i.e. 25th January, 2019, it was not uploaded on official website of the Finance Department or the General Administration Department.
The PDP has already gone offensive against the Finance Department decision while the BJP was in defensive mode and unable to say anything. The BJP leaders admitted that the decision could be a major setback for them especially when Lok Sabha and Assembly elections were round the corner and it could anger the women folk. However, they said, they would take up the matter with the Governor and urge him to withdraw the decision as not only the PDP but even National Conference, Congress, Nationalist Panthers Party and others were likely to exploit it.
Through the same SRO, the Government has also raised stamp duty on registration of land or estate within urban and rural areas from five percent to seven percent.
The stamp duty has been fixed at five percent of the market value of land or estate within urban or rural areas if registered jointly in the name of husband and wife, the SRO, issued today, said.
Prior to PDP-BJP Government’s SRO 219 of 2018, which had exempted stamp duty on purchase of land on women’s name and fixed five percent duty if the land was purchased on the name of male members, the stamp duty was seven percent in urban areas and five percent in rural areas. However, women were given 25 percent concession if the land was registered on their names.
The Government officials were not available for comments as to what prompted the Governor’s administration to reverse the historic decision of the previous PDP-BJP Government.
Earlier, the PDP-BJP Government’s order had been widely appreciated across the State and large number of families had started registration of land on the names of female members of the families, thus, empowering the women.
“Registration of land and houses on the name of females had witnessed massive jump after decision of PDP-BJP Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti completely exempting stamp duty for registration of land on the name of women. The females had benefited by this decision and by feeling safe and secure as people had started registration of land on the name of female members of the families to save stamp duty, which was five percent for the male members,” sources pointed out.

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