Bhubaneswar: An initiative by the Odisha Government introduces a standardized framework for apartment registrations, aiming to increase transparency and streamline procedures across the real estate sector.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department, along with the Housing and Urban Development Department, jointly issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to eliminate varying interpretations of existing real estate and registration laws, including the Odisha Apartment Act of 2023 and the RERA Act of 2016.
Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, ACS Revenue & Disaster Management and Shrimati Usha Padhee ACS Housing & Urban Development have jointly taken this regulatory measure, which is projected to protect the interests of buyers, reduce compliance ambiguities, and establish a more systemic approach to property registration throughout the state.
The newly introduced guidelines classify apartment registrations into three distinct categories: the resale of Pre-RERA apartments, the first sale of unsold flats within Pre-RERA projects, and Post-RERA apartments. Each segment has explicit requirements detailing the necessary documentation, verification steps, and conditions that must be fulfilled before a registration can proceed.
For properties falling under the Post-RERA category, several statutory requirements must now be met prior to registration. These include valid Odisha RERA registration, an official Occupancy Certificate, the formal registration of the Association of Allottees, and a registered declaration under Section 9 of the state act. Additionally, rules governing the transfer of common areas and shared amenities must be completed, and final registration will only be granted after receiving formal approval from the designated competent authority.
The framework delineates specific operational boundaries and responsibilities for various administrative bodies, mapping out roles for the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, respective regional Development Authorities, and Revenue Sub-Division jurisdictions.
Financially, the government has maintained the existing one percent stamp duty concession for property transfers executed in favor of women buyers. To ease the financial and administrative burden on residential communities, nominal stamp duty and registration fees have been set specifically for deeds that transfer the ownership of common areas and amenities to the registered Associations of Allottees.