Non-Agriculture background person can buy agricultural land in Karnataka
A major amendment was made in the Karnataka Land Reforms
Act, 1961. In 2020, the State Cabinet decided to allow
non-agricultural holders to purchase agricultural land,
and to do so; it was decided to remove the limit on
income from non-agricultural sources. It has also
increased the number of units of land owned by an
individual.
With a few exceptions, such as educational and religious
institutions, companies, and co-operatives, non-farmers
could not buy agricultural property in the past. Also,
those who have a background in agriculture, but whose
annual non-agricultural income is more than 25 lakhs,
could not afford to buy agricultural land in
Karnataka.
The 79 A&B paragraphs adopted in 1974 forced purchasers
to make false disclosures to the tax administration. As
a result, the government altered section 63, raising the
maximum amount of property a family or individual may
buy, and repealing sections 79 A, B, and C, which made
it difficult to transfer agricultural land. By lifting
the limit, farmers can now get more competitive rates
for their land and take their farming techniques to the
next level with improved investment and modernization.
Agricultural land may be purchased in Karnataka when certain requirements have been met
You are a non-agriculture background person who is looking to buy agricultural land in Karnataka. You have read the following clause of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1963, ‘No person must get any immovable property, other than such as is aforesaid, and no such property will be acquired by a company or corporation whose sole concern is the carrying on of agricultural operations.
What do you think does it mean?
The clause you quoted means that if one does not have agricultural background she/he cannot purchase property for other purposes than agriculture with an intention to carry out agriculture operations. So only those persons with agricultural backgrounds can purchase land for agriculture purposes in Karnataka. However, if the person has an agriculture background (he/she has studied agriculture in any university or studied agriculture with an agricultural extension officer), then he/she can purchase agricultural land in Karnataka by submitting a self-declaration (along with other documents) to the government before buying it.
In accordance with the Karnataka rules for buying farmland: -
- You must have agricultural roots (e.g. family / extended family must have agricultural documentation proof)
- For non-agriculture, your annual income should be less than 25 lakh P.A. Previously it was only 5 lakh P.A. which was recently done 25 lakh per annum. So
- Since your income from all sources is less than 25 lakhs, you can buy agricultural land there even though it is non-agricultural.
- You should forget your agricultural certificate and go to the concerned district deputy commissioner's office and apply for land purchase permission.
- But you are allowed to cultivate the land for 5 years from the date of purchase.
