Due to the prolonged closure of registration offices during the lockdown and the temporary reduction in stamp duty by the state government on transactions, sub-registrar’s offices in the city have been witnessing a continuous stream of visitors, which prompted the IGR to extend the work hours.
The Inspector General of Registration (IGR) has extended the work timings of sub-registrar’s offices due to increased footfall. The offices will also remain open on Saturdays as well as on government holidays to deal with the increased crowd.
Earlier, intending to boost the real estate and construction business following the lockdown, the Maharashtra government had decided to slash stamp duty on sale deeds from 5 percent to 2 percent until December 31. As per the decision, announced three months ago, the stamp duty will remain 3 percent between January 1 and March 31 before returning to the normal rate of 5 percent from the next financial year.
Officials said that residents were rushing to make the most of the concession, which has resulted in crowding at sub-registrar’s offices.
