Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates for the Valuation of Buildings for Rental Calculation Purpose by PWD and for the Purpose of Collection of Stamp Duty by Registration Department During the Year 2020-2021

What the schedule governed

Proceedings No. HDO (B) / 65325 / 2001, dated 13 August 2020, issued by the Office of the Engineer-in-Chief (Buildings) and Chief Engineer (Buildings), Public Works Department, Chennai Region, approved a common schedule of plinth area rates for 2020-2021. The rates were to be used for valuing buildings for Public Works Department rental calculations and for the Registration Department's collection of stamp duty.

The approved schedule operated for one year, from 16 August 2020 to 15 August 2021. It valued the building by plinth area and type of construction, excluding the cost of land.

Who it affected

The Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates affected:

• Owners of private buildings occupied by government offices, where new rent or renewed rent had to be fixed.
• Parties whose buildings were valued by the Registration Department for stamp duty collection during the stated period.
• Public Works Department building engineers, Registration Department officers, district registrars and sub-registrars responsible for applying or communicating the rates.
• Valuers and property professionals checking historical building valuations for 2020-2021.

Main provisions

The Common Schedule of Plinth Area Rates:

• Applied common rates across Tamil Nadu, subject to location-based additions.
• Covered load-bearing buildings, reinforced cement concrete framed buildings, godowns, specified older forms of construction, thatched or tiled roofs, garages, miscellaneous items, external and internal services, and electrical items.
• Defined a load-bearing structure as one where stone or brick masonry walls carry slab loads without reinforced cement concrete or steel columns.
• Defined a framed structure as one where reinforced cement concrete or steel columns and beams carry slab loads.
• Added 20 percent within Chennai Corporation limits and the 32 kilometre belt around those limits.
• Added 15 percent within Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur Corporation limits.
• Added 10 percent within the Corporation limits of Trichy, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Vellore, Thanjavur and Dindigul.
• Added 5 percent within all Municipal limits.
• Added 10 percent for buildings in the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud Hills.

The location additions applied to the construction categories numbered I to XV in the schedule. Field officers were also directed to follow the cited Finance Department instructions when fixing or renewing rent for private buildings occupied by government offices.