Single-window agency for land conversion

Single-window agency for land conversion

Deccan Herald

The system aims at bringing order into development of private layouts in cities and towns.



The Revenue Department, which recently banned the sale and registration of revenue sites, has now reintroduced the Single Window Agency (SWA) system to process applications seeking permission for conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural use.

The Department, in a circular dated July 2, attempts to correct “distortion of existing laws governing land conversion,” as allowed under its six-year-old circular of June 7, 1999, under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.

The latest circular, based strictly on prevailing rules, aims at bringing order into development of private layouts in cities and towns.


According to this, an application seeking land conversion must be processed in four months as per the existing rules (not within 45 days, as wrongly stipulated in the 1999 circular).

Further, contrary to the old circular, the competent authority must now take clearance from various other government agencies, including civic authorities and the State Pollution Control Board, before permitting land conversion.

A fresh set of guidelines guard revenue officials while allowing land conversion expeditiously. The SWA functions from Tahasildar’s office.

Tahasildar, while receiving application for land conversion, should get a set of 12 copies of each application and must submit details of the application in a prescribed format to the Deputy Commissioner (DC).

A copy of the application should also be given to 10 members of the SWA (11 members in the case of Bangalore urban district).

In Bangalore, besides the Special Deputy Commissioner, representatives of BDA, BMRDA, Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority, BMP health office, BWSSB, Fire Force, Karantaka State Pollution Control Board constitute the SWA.

In other districts, in addition to officials of the urban development authority, PWD executive engineers are on the SWA.

How it works

The revenue department has set different time-frames for each department to process the application at its level. Each government agency represented on the SWA has to categorically give in writing the reasons for approval or rejection of an application.

The DC has to forward each land conversion application within a week to the SWA members, who should mandatorily meet in the second week of every month.

The members must express their views in writing about the application within 15 days. Action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the norm.

The SWA, while permitting any land conversion, must get the approved layout map from the applicant. The DC, while giving nod for layout formation, should ensure there are approach roads, artilery roads and civic amenity sites, etc.

The authorities concerned should not permit allotment of sites in a layout till the government’s specifications are met.

Tightening rules

The circular, while justifying the decision to tighten rules for land conversion, says that the government has been forced to spend crores of rupees for providing basic amenities in private layouts which have come up without adhering to rules.

Revenue Secretary S M Jaamdar told Deccan Herald that the July 2 circular only reiterates the existing rules but those that are usually violated. “We have issued the revised circular to ensure cities grow as per the plans. We also want to negate harassment of applicants,” he added.