Giving a boost to affordable housing, Reserve Bank of India has eased the norms for home loans of up to Rs 10 lakh by allowing banks to include stamp duty and registration charges to the cost of a unit. A RBI notification said that these charges form around 15 per cent of the cost of the house and place a burden on borrowers from economically weaker sections and low income groups. As per the current practice, lenders do not include stamp duty, registration and other documentation charges in the cost of housing property. RBI also said that in cases of projects sponsored by government or statutory authorities, banks may disburse the loans as per the payment stages prescribed by such authorities, even where payments sought from house buyers are not linked to the stages of construction. Some banks had made representations that they are not able to extend home loans to the allottees in the projects developed by government bodies as the payment schedule prescribed by such authorities is not linked to the stages of construction.