The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly on Thursday cleared the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to revise stamp duty rates on property-related transactions in the state. According to reports from NDTV Profit and Rediff Moneynews, the bill was passed by a voice vote in the state assembly amidst opposition's protests. The government stated that the revision aims to make stamp duty rates rational and practical, considering current circumstances.
Opposing the bill, Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur raised strong objections to the proposed changes in stamp duty and various fees, arguing that the state government should not impose an additional financial burden on people at a time when Himachal Pradesh is facing a financial crisis. As reported by NDTV Profit and Rediff Moneynews, Thakur pointed out that fees for several documents had been substantially increased, citing instances where a fee of ₹100 was proposed to be raised to ₹1,000, while a ₹200 fee could go up to ₹5,000. He urged Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi to take into consideration the difficulties faced by poorer sections of society while defending the proposed amendments.
Presenting the government's stance, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi clarified that stamp duty would not apply to transactions involving a Patwari and said the fee for affidavits had been increased by ₹100, while most of the provisions in the Bill were related primarily to income taxpayers and would not directly affect the poor. According to NDTV Profit and Rediff Moneynews, he said this fee would primarily impact property owners and those involved in high-value transactions, with no bearing on the poor. The minister pointed out that stamp duty rates had not been increased since 2012.
The bill provides significant relief to women purchasing property by reducing stamp duty from 8% to 4% on property valued up to ₹1 crore. As reported by NDTV Profit and Rediff Moneynews, this means a woman purchasing property valued at ₹1 crore in her name would be liable to pay stamp duty at the reduced rate. The government has also proposed higher stamp duty on certain General Power of Attorney (GPA) arrangements involving non-Himachalis holding property outside the state, addressing concerns over alleged misuse of such arrangements and potential irregularities in property dealings.
The government has introduced provisions to prevent the practice of splitting sale deeds into smaller parts to evade stamp duty. According to NDTV Profit and Rediff Moneynews, if a subsequent sale deed is executed between the same buyer and seller within one year and the total value exceeds the prescribed limit, stamp duty will be levied based on the applicable rate by aggregating the transactions. The passage of the legislation came on the final day of the 12th Session of the 14th Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, which was subsequently adjourned sine die. The Revenue Minister maintained that the amendment would not impose an undue burden on the common man and argued that similar fee increases had been introduced in BJP-ruled states.
