SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, halving the stamp duty for women purchasing property worth up to ₹1 crore from 8% to 4%. Terming the decision a major step toward women empowerment, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that the legislative change aims to encourage property ownership among women across the state. Under the newly approved provisions, property acquisitions by women exceeding ₹1 crore will attract an 8% stamp duty, while male buyers will face a 6% duty on properties valued up to ₹40 lakh and 8% on transactions above that threshold.
The legislative passage came despite intense opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which staged a walkout citing broader financial burdens imposed on citizens. The amended legislation establishes a uniform 12% stamp duty on non-residents acquiring or leasing property in the state under Section 118(2)(h) of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, applying equally across gender lines. To prevent duty evasion through fragmented transactions, the law also mandates an 8% duty on multiple re-registrations executed between the same parties within a single year if their cumulative value crosses prescribed limits, alongside revised fee structures for General Power of Attorney execution.
Defending the legislation, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi maintained that stamp duty rates had remained unrevised since 2012 and required rationalization to reflect current market realities and curb speculative land practices. He emphasized that concessional rates were intentionally structured to benefit women while higher levies were targeted at categories with greater financial capacity. Conversely, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticized the measure as an exorbitant increase across general categories, asserting that the government was attempting to offset state fiscal challenges by placing additional financial strain on common property buyers.
