Kerala Revenue Dept Eases Land Conversion, Affidavit Replaces Field Inspection

In a significant policy shift, the Revenue Department of Kerala is preparing new guidelines to ease the process of converting up to 25 cents of land — especially paddy fields — under the Wetland Conservation Act. According to the proposed changes, applicants will no longer be required to undergo a physical site inspection by the village officer. Instead, a sworn affidavit declaring that the land in question does not fall under the category of wetlands will suffice.

Currently, to convert land for non-agricultural use, especially when applying for free (non-commercial) land conversion, applicants are required to submit numerous details including the nature of the land, fair value, and land sketches. This is followed by a mandatory site inspection by the village officer before the application is forwarded to the RDO (Revenue Divisional Officer). These steps have often been criticized for causing unnecessary delays in the process.

Under the new guidelines being framed, if an applicant provides an affidavit along with the required land records, the need for site inspection will be waived. However, if the affidavit is later found to be false, the land conversion will be cancelled.

This relaxation is applicable only for applications submitted via Form 6 for lands that are not already included in the official land database.

The decision was made during a meeting at the Revenue Secretariat chaired by the Revenue Minister, in response to mounting public complaints about delays in the current process.