Section 143 in Nainital district: converting farmland before you build

Walk around Bhimtal, Bhowali, Ramgarh or Mukteshwar and most of the land you see was, until recently, terraced fields and orchards. In the revenue records, a lot of it still is. Before a house can be approved on such land, its use has to be declared non-agricultural. In Uttarakhand this is done under Section 143 of the state's land law (the U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, as adapted for Uttarakhand), and people usually just call it ‘getting 143 done’.

Do you need it?

• If the khatauni shows the land as agricultural and you want to build a house or anything else on it, usually yes.
• If the land is already recorded as non-agricultural (abadi or residential), or a 143 order was passed earlier, you need a copy of that instead.
• If you are buying, ask the seller for the 143 order up front. ‘It can be done later’ is sometimes true and sometimes a problem you inherit.

Here is how to read the khatauni for your plot to see how the land is recorded.

How the process usually runs

1. 01Application with ownership records, the khasra map, a site plan and photographs.
2. 02A field report by the revenue staff (lekhpal and revenue inspector) on the land and its current use.
3. 03Endorsement by the tehsildar and a decision by the competent authority, usually the SDM.
4. 04Payment of the prescribed charges.
5. 05The declaration is passed and the records are updated to show non-agricultural use.

In 2020 the state cabinet decided that land use change requests in development authority areas could be handled through the authority. In practice the route depends on where the plot is and on the rules in force when you apply, so confirm the current route for your plot before you start.

Documents to keep ready

• Registry (sale deed) and the current khatauni.
• Khasra number and the village map (najri naksha) for the plot.
• A site plan from a survey showing area and boundaries. See plot demarcation and boundary survey.
• ID proof and photographs of the owners, and photographs of the land.
• Any affidavits the office asks for at the time.

How long it takes

Longer than most owners expect. Field verification, objection periods and office workload all add time, and a mismatch in the records stops the file until it is corrected. Start as soon as the land is yours, and do the survey and drawings in parallel so the building map is ready when the 143 order comes through. Here is what the map approval process involves.

If you are buying from outside the state

Under the 2025 amendment, non-residents cannot buy agricultural land in Nainital district at all, and residential purchases are limited to 250 sq m. A seller offering ‘farmland, 143 later’ to an outside buyer is offering something the law no longer allows. See buying land in Nainital as an outsider.

Land use rules and procedures change, so treat this as an overview, not legal advice. We survey the plot, prepare the site plan and line up the building map approval so nothing waits on anything else.

[S-01] Related serviceDLDA Approved Building PlannerBuilding maps drawn to the by-laws and taken through DLDA approval for you.