Converting agricultural land in Rajasthan: Section 90A, honestly

Is it 90A or 90B — and why does that matter?

It is Section 90A, and only 90A. The mental model many brokers still use — "90A for rural land, 90B for urban" — is outdated for 2026: Section 90B has been omitted from the Land Revenue Act, and Section 90A is now the single umbrella provision under which agricultural land is converted to non-agricultural use, in both rural and urban areas. The Rajasthan High Court itself has described the government's power to regularise conversions under "Section 90B as it stood at the relevant time and Section 90-A as it stands today." Cite 90A; treat 90B as history. (We could not obtain the exact date and Act number of 90B's omission from a machine-readable official copy — flagged.)

Who sanctions a rural conversion, and how?

Under the 2007 Rural Rules — made under Section 90A — the sanctioning authority escalates by the area and the intended use: from the Tehsildar up through the Sub-Divisional Officer, the Collector, the Divisional Commissioner, and, for the largest cases, the State Government. An appeal lies to an officer not below Collector rank within 30 days. We deliberately do not print the exact area break-points, because Rule 9 has been amended repeatedly (most recently 29 April 2026) and secondary sources disagree on the current slabs — those must be read from the current amended Rule, not from a blog.

What does a rural conversion cost?

The charge basis is officially published in Rule 7 of the 2007 Rules, and it is not a single number — it is the higher of three limbs for each use: a flat rate per square metre, a percentage of the DLC value, or that same percentage of the registered purchase price, whichever is higher. The percentages are 5% for a residential unit, 7.5% for a residential colony or project, 10% for commercial, and 5% for industrial (with lower or nil rates for public utilities, SEZs, food processing and renewables). So the conversion premium is computed from your parcel's own DLC value or price — which is exactly why this guide quotes no rupee figure for "a conversion": there isn't one.

How is an urban conversion different?

Structurally different, and this is where buyers most often mis-budget. In an urban or development-authority area the 2012 Urban Rules apply, and the sanctioning authority is the authorised officer of the Jaipur Development Authority, an Urban Improvement Trust, or a municipality — not a revenue officer. The khatedari is extinguished and the land is placed at the authority's disposal for allotment on a 99-year lease; the premium is "such amount as may be notified by the State Government from time to time" — not the rural 5%/7.5%/10% percentages — plus a recurring urban assessment (reported at 2.5% for residential and 5% for commercial uses). So the rural charge table does not govern a JDA or UIT conversion; applying it there is a common and expensive error.

What is the process and the timeline?

Rural applications are filed on Form-A under the 2007 Rules, online through the state's single-sign-on and payment systems, with the record of rights, the revenue map, the chain of title, a layout plan for a colony or industrial use, a tree inventory and replanting undertaking, identity, and the fee challan. The 2007 Rules set decision timelines with an escalation mechanism if an officer does not act — and the 2012 Urban Rules contain a genuine deemed-no-objection if a Tehsildar does not respond within 15 days. We describe these as mechanisms rather than quoting exact rule numbers, because the specifics have been amended repeatedly; the current Rule text governs.

What happens if you build without converting?

You accrue a penalty and a defect in title. Using agricultural land for a non-agricultural purpose without Section 90A permission attracts a penalty (reported at 25% of the premium, in addition to the premium itself) and leaves the use unauthorised until regularised. A plot sold to you as "residential" that was never lawfully converted is an agricultural parcel with a building on it — priced, and risked, accordingly. The conversion order, not the seller's assurance, is what makes the use legal, and it is read before the price is agreed.