The Goa government is set to revise the state's stamp duty framework as part of efforts to implement the ‘Mhajo Flat’ initiative, with the proposed changes aimed at reducing additional costs on apartment owners and housing societies involved in redevelopment. 
The government plans to introduce the Indian Stamp (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the state Assembly. The legislative route follows the return of an earlier ordinance by the Governor after the Assembly had already been summoned. The proposed bill is intended to provide a statutory basis for changes in stamp duty applicable to transactions covered by the initiative. 
The wider ‘Mhajo Flat’ framework was approved by the Goa Cabinet in July to address ownership and conveyance problems affecting apartment owners. A major focus is deemed conveyance, which can allow housing societies to obtain legal transfer of land and building rights when developers or landowners have not completed the conveyance process. 
The latest proposed amendment, however, also addresses a separate cost associated with redevelopment. In a typical redevelopment arrangement, a housing society may enter into a principal development agreement with a developer. Individual members can subsequently execute agreements concerning the flats they are expected to receive after redevelopment. 
The government is examining whether such subsequent instruments should attract substantial stamp duty when the primary redevelopment transaction has already been taxed. The objective is to avoid what stakeholders have described as duplication of charges on documents that are part of the same overall transaction. 
A similar issue can arise when a development agreement is accompanied by a power of attorney authorising the developer to undertake activities such as construction, sale or transfer. Where both instruments attract significant duty, the combined cost can increase the financial burden on the society and its members. 
Real estate industry representatives, including CREDAI, have raised concerns over these additional costs and sought a structure under which related or subsidiary instruments carry only a nominal duty once the principal document has already attracted the applicable conveyance-level charge. 
The proposed reform is particularly relevant to older housing societies. Redevelopment of ageing buildings often involves several legal and financial steps, including agreements between the society, developer and individual members. High transaction costs can add another layer of complexity to projects that already require agreement among multiple stakeholders. 
The ‘Mhajo Flat’ initiative is also intended to address the ownership difficulties of residents whose buildings were developed decades ago but where formal conveyance was never completed. Under the broader framework, eligible housing societies can pursue deemed conveyance even where the original builder is unavailable or disputes remain between the developer and landowner. 
The government had earlier proposed concessional charges for deemed conveyance, including a fixed registration fee of INR 10,000. The framework also envisages lower stamp duty for eligible transactions, with the stated objective of making formal transfer of ownership more accessible to housing societies. 
The proposed stamp law amendment therefore has two connected implications for Goa's residential sector. It can help societies resolve long-standing title and conveyance problems while also reducing the transaction costs associated with redevelopment. 
For apartment owners, lower statutory charges could make redevelopment agreements less expensive and improve the financial feasibility of upgrading older buildings. For developers, a more predictable duty structure could simplify negotiations and reduce upfront transaction expenses. 
The effectiveness of the reform will ultimately depend on the provisions approved by the Assembly and the notifications issued thereafter. Once the amended framework is operational, housing societies and developers will have greater clarity on the financial treatment of documents executed during conveyance and redevelopment.