Significant protests erupted in Jaipur on Thursday as lawyers from over a dozen land registry offices rallied against a new state government regulation. The contentious rule bans the registration of cooperative housing society lands without prior conversion from agricultural to non-agricultural use, causing major disruptions in property transactions across the city.
What Does the New Rule Mandate?
The Rajasthan state government implemented amendments to the Registration Act, 2021, which came into force on Thursday. Under the new provisions, plot owners must now declare if their land has been formally converted for non-agricultural purposes. This conversion process is governed by Section 90A of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956. It requires landowners to submit formal applications, secure approval from district authorities (the Jaipur Development Authority or JDA for Jaipur), and pay the necessary fees before any sale can be registered.
Devendra Kumar Jain, Jaipur's additional district magistrate-IV, confirmed the widespread unrest. He stated that bar associations from various registry offices had submitted a memorandum of protest on Wednesday and organized demonstrations throughout Thursday.
Impact and Conflicting Viewpoints
The immediate consequence of the protests was a sharp decline in property registrations. The number of land registrations across the city fell by approximately 50% compared to a typical day, highlighting the rule's disruptive effect on the real estate market.
A senior official from the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department defended the government's decision. He explained that the amendment aims to combat the illegal sale of land, particularly agricultural plots and lands belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which have specific sales restrictions under the Tenancy Act. This move is seen as beneficial to government agencies like urban development authorities and the Rajasthan Housing Board by ensuring legal compliance.
However, legal professionals have raised serious practical concerns. Prahlad Bagga, a senior member of the district bar association, argued that a large number of established residential colonies in Jaipur lack the necessary conversion paperwork. This deficiency, he warned, would not only prevent developers from selling new properties but also hinder current residents from reselling their plots, effectively freezing a significant portion of the housing market.
Calls for Simplification and the Path Forward
The protests underscore a broader anxiety among property stakeholders in Jaipur. Lawyers and residents are seeking clarity and a more feasible implementation process. Bagga emphasized the urgent need for the state government to withdraw the regulation until the land conversion procedure is made simpler, faster, and more transparent.
The standoff reflects the tension between the government's goal of preventing illegal land sales and the practical realities of Jaipur's complex property landscape. The coming days will be crucial as authorities and the real estate sector negotiate a path that ensures legality without crippling legitimate transactions.
