Amendments in Karnataka agricultural land buying rules

According to Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the income limit for non-agricultural persons to purchase agricultural land in Karnataka has been increased from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh.

The deputy commissioners of districts have been granted powers to grant permission for non-agriculturists to purchase agricultural land under Section 80 of the Act.

However, there are still restrictions in the form of permissions granted for person’s conditions such as:

(i) that the transferee shall take up agriculture within one year from the date of acquisition of land, and

(ii) that if the transferee gives up agriculture within five years, the land shall vest in the State Government subject to payment to him of an amount equal to eight times the net annual income of the land or where the land has been purchased, the price paid for the land, if such price is less than eight times the net annual income of the land.