Industry Odisha Bureau, Jun 19: In a significant step towards making the apartment registration process in the State more transparent, streamlined and uniform, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and the Housing and Urban Development Department have jointly issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for apartment registration.
The SOP has been formulated to eliminate ambiguities arising from varying interpretations of the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) and the Registration Act, 1908, while ensuring a standardized registration process across the State.
Under the new SOP, apartment registration has been categorized into three distinct segments; resale of pre-RERA apartments, first sale of unsold flats in pre-RERA projects and post-RERA apartments. The SOP clearly specifies the required documents, verification procedures and registration conditions applicable to each category.
For Post-RERA apartments, compliance with Odisha RERA registration (where applicable), Occupancy Certificate, registration of the Association of Allottees, registration of the Declaration under Section – 9 and provisions relating to the transfer of common areas and amenities has been made mandatory prior to registration. Registration will be permitted only after approval by the competent authority concerned.
The SOP also clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of the competent authorities for areas falling under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, various Development Authorities and Revenue Sub-Division jurisdictions.
The existing one percent concession in stamp duty for apartment transfers executed in favour of women will continue.
Similarly, nominal stamp duty and registration fees have been prescribed for deeds relating to the transfer of common areas and amenities in favour of associations of allottees.
The State Government expects that this initiative will make the apartment registration process more transparent, systematic and citizen-centric, while safeguarding the interests of apartment buyers and promoting good governance in the real estate sector.
