Ranchi: Buying properties in urban local bodies across Jharkhand is set to get pricier. In a bid to boost revenue, the state govt has proposed a new levy on property transactions.The draft Jharkhand Municipal Land/Building Transfer Surcharge Rules 2026, which has been put in the public domain by the state urban development and housing department, proposes a 10% surcharge on the total amount of stamp duty and registration fee for property transfers within municipal and industrial township limits. The money will then be sent to the civic bodies for revenue and capital expenditures.“The rules are part of our initiative to increase revenue for municipal bodies in the state and help them overcome fund crunch. We are also taking other steps to increase revenue, including the recent introduction of tourist tax rules,” said Sunil Kumar, principal secretary of the department, said.The draft rules are currently open for public feedback until July 24.In cases where the property transfer is not completed, the surcharge will be refunded in line with standard registration fee refund procedures. The regulations will apply across all areas governed by the Jharkhand Municipal Act, 2011.The calculation of surcharge and its collection will be online. The department of revenue, registration and land reforms department, which has been collecting stamp duty and registration fee on property sales, will collect the surcharge additionally and transfer the amount directly to a dedicated bank account of each civic body through an integrated payment gateway.
