Agricultural Land Conversion (NA) Order Delayed: What to Do

You bought or own farm land and want to use it for a house, a shop, an industry, or a layout. For that, the land has to be converted from agricultural use to non-agricultural (NA) use. You applied, paid what was asked, and now the order has not come. Weeks turn into months, and no one tells you why. This guide explains how the conversion process works, where files get stuck, and how to push it forward — including the Right to Information (RTI) route.

One important note up front: land is a state subject in India. The exact law, the authority who signs the order, the fee, and the timeline all vary heavily by state. This guide gives you the common pattern and the questions to ask, but you must confirm the local rule with your own revenue office.

What "NA conversion" actually means

Agricultural land can only be used for farming unless the government formally changes its permitted use. That change is called land-use conversion, or "NA permission" (non-agricultural permission). After conversion, the land record is updated to show the new use, and you can legally build or develop on it.

Conversion is not the same as mutation. Conversion changes the permitted use of the land. Mutation updates the owner's name in the revenue record. If your ownership entry is also pending, that is a separate process — see our guide on property mutation delays and how to use RTI.

Who handles your file

Two kinds of authority usually touch an NA application:

• The revenue authority. This is the office that holds your land record and signs the final conversion order. Depending on the state, this is the Collector, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or the Tahsildar. They check ownership, land type, dues, and whether the land is fit for conversion.
• The town-planning or development authority. Before the revenue order, your land is often checked against the master plan or zoning map. The planning authority confirms the land falls in a zone where your intended use is allowed (residential, commercial, industrial, and so on). If your land is in a green belt, water body buffer, or no-development zone, conversion can be refused.

Because two desks are involved, files often stall in the gap between them — the revenue office waiting for the planning report, or the planning office waiting for a document. Knowing this helps you ask the right question later.

The documents and details that matter

When you follow up or file an RTI, you will need these handy:

1. Your application number. The receipt or acknowledgement number from when you applied. This is the single most useful identifier. Quote it in every follow-up.
2. The land record. Survey number, sub-division, khasra or khata number, village, taluka, and district. Different states use different terms (7/12 extract, RTC, jamabandi, patta, khatauni), but they all identify the exact plot.
3. The zoning / master-plan position. Which zone your land falls in. If you applied without checking this, the file may be stuck because the use is not allowed in that zone.
4. The conversion fee or premium. Most states charge a fee based on area, location, and intended use. Keep the challan or receipt. If the office says payment is pending, get the exact amount in writing.
5. Any objection or query letter the office has sent you. Replying late to these is a common reason an order sits unsigned.

Step 1: Check the real status before you complain

Many delays have a simple cause: a missing paper, an unpaid fee, or a pending zoning report. Find out which before you escalate.

1. Visit or call the revenue office that took your application. Carry the acknowledgement.
2. Ask the dealing clerk what stage your file is at and what, if anything, is pending from your side.
3. If the state has an online land or revenue services portal, log in and check the application status with your number.
4. Confirm whether the planning / zoning report has come in, and whether any fee is due.
5. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to, and what they said.

If the answer is "you owe a fee" or "you must submit X," fix it quickly and get a fresh receipt. If the answer is vague — "it is in process" — move to the next step.

Step 2: Send a written representation

A polite written representation creates a record and often unsticks a file. Keep it short and factual.

1. Address it to the officer who signs the order (Collector / SDO / Tahsildar, as per your state).
2. State your application number, the land record details, and the date you applied.
3. Mention the notified timeline if your state has a public service guarantee law, and that the time has passed.
4. Ask for the current status and the expected date of the order.
5. Attach copies of your acknowledgement and any fee receipt.
6. Submit it at the inward / dak counter and get a stamped receiving copy, or send it by registered post and keep the slip.

Give the office a reasonable time to reply — often a week or two. Many states also run a grievance portal (such as a CM helpline or a public grievance system) where you can lodge the same complaint and get a tracking number.

Step 3: File an RTI to surface the file movement

This is where RTI is powerful. The revenue authority and the town-planning authority are public authorities under the RTI Act, so they must tell you what is happening with your file. An RTI cannot force them to approve your conversion, but it forces them to put the truth on record — and that often gets a stuck file moving.

Ask focused, factual questions. Good ones include:

• The current stage of application number ___, and the name and designation of the officer who is now holding the file.
• The complete file movement (noting sheet / file movement register) for the application, with dates.
• Copies of any objections, queries, or reports placed on the file, including the zoning / planning report.
• Whether the conversion fee has been received, and the date and amount.
• The expected date by which the order will be decided.
• A copy of the citizen-charter or notified timeline for NA conversion in this office.

You can file the application through your state's RTI portal where one exists, or by post to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the revenue or planning office. If you are new to this, our walkthrough on how to file an RTI application online, step by step covers fees, format, and what to expect.

The PIO must normally reply within 30 days. If they do not reply, or the reply is incomplete or evasive, you can escalate — see how to file a first appeal under RTI. The first appeal goes to a senior officer in the same department and is free.

If the delay is really a rejection or a zoning bar

Sometimes the file is not moving because the land cannot be converted in that zone, or because an objection is unanswered. RTI helps here too: get the objections and reports in writing, then respond to each point. If a formal rejection order has been issued, ask for it with reasons. Most state revenue laws allow an appeal to a higher revenue authority within a fixed time. The same file documents you obtained through RTI become your evidence in that appeal.

Conversion problems often travel with other land-record issues. If your record itself shows wrong details, see how to correct land records using RTI. And if you are caught up in a wider permission queue, our guides on building plan approval delays and the encumbrance certificate not being issued may help you plan the next document you need.

A quick word on fees and timelines

We have deliberately not quoted rupee amounts, percentages, or section numbers here, because they differ from state to state and are revised over time. Always get the exact conversion fee, the legal provision, and the timeline from your own state's revenue or town-planning department, or from the official order they give you. Treat any figure from a broker or an agent as unconfirmed until you see the government challan or notification yourself. For a deeper, end-to-end view of using RTI to push government files, the free The RTI Playbook is a useful companion.