JAIPUR: A new land registry rule introduced on Thursday by the urban development and housing (UDH) department has sparked significant backlash. Critics, including UDH officials and lawyers, claim that the regulation primarily favors large builders at the expense of smaller stakeholders and individual landowners.
The controversial regulation requires that sale deeds cannot be registered without obtaining land conversion certificates, which change agricultural land into residential or industrial use. According to critics, for many small landowners—especially farmers—gaining these certificates from the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) or other government agencies is nearly impossible.
A senior UDH official remarked, “This regulation creates a scenario where landowners, especially farmers, will be forced to rely on larger builders to navigate their sale processes. Consequently, it is anticipated that individual buyers and landowners will increasingly depend on these bigger entities for land transactions and development.”
Additionally, this rule aligns with the JDA’s recent expansion of jurisdiction, now covering several villages in the Jaipur district. Advocates working with district collectorate offices expressed concerns that this regulation complicates the purchasing process for new buyers and poses difficulties for existing plot owners aiming to resell their properties. Plots acquired without conversion certificates are likely to be avoided by potential buyers due to registration challenges.
“Over 80% of colonies in Jaipur have been developed by housing cooperative societies without securing conversion certificates,” noted Harlal Singh, an advocate at the district registry office. “Previously, the state government legitimized these developments through JDA patta (land deeds). However, a significant number of plot owners have yet to obtain their patta. What will happen to them?”
Legal experts also pointed out that the government’s new regulation contradicts a Supreme Court ruling from April 2025, which clarified that a sub-registrar or registrar is not responsible for verifying the seller’s title to the property during transactions. “The apex court held that as long as all parties are present and validate the execution of the document, it should be registered, without the registrar needing to assess the title or nature of the land,” explained Prahlad Bagda, an advocate.
Chandra Sekhar Parashar, a former additional chief town planner of Rajasthan, criticized the new rule as ‘half-baked.’ “While it may boost land conversion and government revenue, it fails to ensure compliance with JDA or UDH bylaws and master plans,” he asserted. “It is essential for the government to enforce adherence to proper zoning and development standards to uphold order and safety in urban planning.”
