Answer Book question
It depends which list it is on. Land in the panchayat's published data bank as paddy or wetland cannot be converted, except through the district committee for very limited purposes. Land that is paddy or wetland only in the old village records (the basic tax register) but not in the data bank is 'unnotified land', and since the 2018 amendment the owner can apply to the Revenue Divisional Officer for permission to use it for a house or other purpose, paying a fee: nil for the first 25 cents held on 30 December 2017, 10% of fair value above that up to one acre, 20% above an acre, plus ₹100 per square foot for buildings above 3,000 square feet. If your land is wrongly in the data bank, there is a correction route through the local monitoring committee.
It depends which list it is on. Land in the panchayat's published data bank as paddy or wetland cannot be converted, except through the district committee for very limited purposes.
Land that is paddy or wetland only in the old village records (the basic tax register) but not in the data bank is 'unnotified land', and since the 2018 amendment the owner can apply to the Revenue Divisional Officer for permission to use it for a house or other purpose, paying a fee: nil for the first 25 cents held on 30 December 2017, 10% of fair value above that up to one acre, 20% above an acre, plus ₹100 per square foot for buildings above 3,000 square feet.
If your land is wrongly in the data bank, there is a correction route through the local monitoring committee.
A family in Kulanada owns 18 cents shown as 'nilam' in the village records, filled and planted with coconut in the 1990s, not in the data bank. They apply to the RDO in Form 6 under Section 27A. Because it is under 25 cents and was held before December 2017, no fee. Permission issued; the village office reclassifies; a building permit follows.
The Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 prohibits conversion from 12 August 2008 and requires each local body to publish a data bank of paddy and wetland through a Local Level Monitoring Committee. 23 ares, about 50 cents) or Form 7 (larger), subject to conditions and the fee; Section 27A(6) gives the one-time 25-cent fee exemption for existing owners. The fee is based on the fair value under the Stamp Act and is paid into an Agricultural Promotion Fund.
For land genuinely in the data bank, the State Level Committee and District Level Authorised Committee can permit reclamation only for public purposes and in narrow cases; a 2025 Supreme Court decision confirmed the fee is calculable on the area above the exempt 25 cents. Errors in the data bank are corrected by application (Form 5) to the Local Level Monitoring Committee with an RDO order following. Building permits from the panchayat require the land's revenue classification to match.
The data bank for your panchayat (available at the panchayat and agricultural office, and online in many districts): is the survey number in it? The thandaper and basic tax register entry: is the land shown as 'nilam' or 'purayidam'? Date of your ownership and whether the holding was 25 cents or less on 30 December 2017 Fair value of the land, for the fee Whether a house already stands: the amendment protected certain existing structures
Buying land on the strength of a building permit application without checking the data bank. Also: assuming that because neighbours built, you can. The 2008 date and the data bank are what count, not the street.
Pathanamthitta's Upper Kuttanad fringe and the river valleys have large areas of reclaimed paddy in the village records. The difference between 'in the data bank' and 'unnotified' is the difference between never and a fee. Banks will not lend against land whose classification does not support the proposed building; sort the RDO order before the loan.
40 cents unnotified, held since 2010, fair value ₹4 lakh per cent. Exempt 25 cents: nil. Remaining 15 cents: 10% of ₹60 lakh = ₹6 lakh fee. House of 2,400 sq ft: no per-square-foot charge. House of 3,600 sq ft: additional 600 × ₹100 = ₹60,000.
Land in the data bank as paddy cannot be converted for a private house; the answer is to cultivate it, sell it to someone who will, or pursue a correction if the listing is wrong. Wetlands along rivers and backwaters have further restrictions under coastal and river regulations.
Check the data bank and the village records for the survey number If unnotified, file Form 6 with the RDO with the title deed, tax receipt, sketch and fair value certificate If wrongly in the data bank, file Form 5 with the Local Level Monitoring Committee
Can I pay cash for land? What is 'fair value' and why does it matter? How do I check if a property in Kerala has a clean title before buying? (Vol 1)
Property & family (lawyer referral)
Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 and Amendment Act, 2018, Sections 2, 5, 27A · Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Rules, 2008, Forms 5, 6, 7; 2021 fee order · Supreme Court, 2025 INSC 255 (fee computation) Last checked: 22 August 2026. Rates, limits and whether you may qualify change. Confirm with the official source before you act. Ask Kerala Rising: Use only general, non-identifying facts.
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This page is general orientation, not personal insurance, investment, medical, legal, lending, tax, employment, or professional advice. Rules, rates, deadlines, and decisions can change. Confirm the current position with the named official source and use a licensed or qualified professional where your situation requires one. Kerala Rising does not decide whether you may qualify, approve claims, or promise an outcome.