NALA Conversion in Medchal: Agricultural to Non-Agricultural Land Use Procedure

NALA Conversion in Medchal: Agricultural to Non-Agricultural Land Use Procedure

A practical guide for landowners, buyers, borrowers and business owners in Medchal-Malkajgiri and Hyderabad

Read this first Dharani is no longer the live citizen portal for NALA filings. Apply on Bhu Bharati (bhubharati.telangana.gov.in). After Act 19 of 2020, the Tahsildar of the mandal is the competent authority under Section 5 — not the RDO — though Keesara and Malkajgiri RDOs still supervise files. Conversion tax slabs in G.O.Ms.No. 149 dated 16 December 2020 (2% GHMC / 3% other areas of basic value) must be verified if a later G.O. has been issued. NALA permission is not HMDA or building permission.

Introduction

NALA conversion charges in Medchal are the one-time conversion tax you pay to legally change agricultural land to non-agricultural use in Telangana. If you plan to build a house, shop, godown, industry or layout on farmland in Medchal-Malkajgiri, agricultural land conversion is not optional. Using the land for a non-agricultural purpose without permission can trigger deemed conversion and a 50% penalty over the conversion tax.

This guide explains the Telangana procedure for landowners, buyers and business owners around Keesara, Shamirpet, Medchal, Malkajgiri, Quthbullapur, Ghatkesar and nearby mandals. It covers who the competent authority is, how RDO Medchal NALA files actually move, what to upload on Bhu Bharati, what documents matter, and when to appeal to the District Collector.

What NALA conversion actually means

“NALA” is commonly used for two related ideas:

Conversion permission under the Telangana Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non-Agricultural Purposes) Act, 2006 (Act 3 of 2006, as amended). This is the order that legally permits agricultural land to be used for a non-agricultural purpose.

Non-agricultural assessment after conversion, which is a separate, ongoing local-body or revenue assessment on the converted land.

For most buyers and builders in Medchal, the first document that matters is the conversion permission. Without it, Gram Panchayat or municipal building permission is ordinarily refused, and banks treating the land as security for construction finance will usually insist on conversion.

Section 3 of the 2006 Act is clear in substance: agricultural land in Telangana cannot be put to a non-agricultural purpose without prior permission of the competent authority.

NALA conversion is not the same as:

HMDA / DTCP layout approval

building permission from the local body

mutation or sale-deed registration

change of zoning in the master plan

You may need more than one approval. Conversion only changes the revenue classification. It does not by itself legalise an unapproved layout or a construction in a prohibited zone.

When you need agricultural land conversion in Telangana

You typically need conversion if you intend to:

construct a house, farmhouse used as a residence, or apartment block

open a shop, office, warehouse or commercial building

develop a residential or plotted layout

set up an industry or workshop

use farmland as a non-farm business site

You generally do not need conversion if the land continues only as agriculture (crops, orchard, pasture).

The Act also lists limited categories to which it does not apply — including certain State Government lands, local-authority communal lands (while not used commercially), lands used for religious or charitable purposes, owner-run traditional household industry not exceeding one acre, and lands used for aquaculture, dairy and poultry (Section 7). Those exemptions are narrow. A weekend home, gated villa or commercial plot in Medchal is not an exemption. Check the exact category on your facts before assuming you are outside the Act.

NALA conversion charges Medchal: how the tax is calculated

Conversion tax is levied under Section 4 of the 2006 Act. The Government notifies the rate from time to time.

As per G.O.Ms.No. 149, Revenue (Land Matters), dated 16 December 2020 (to be verified if a later G.O. has replaced it):

2% of the basic value of the land in areas covered by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

3% of the basic value of the land in areas other than GHMC

Basic value is the official registration / market-value guideline used by the Sub-Registrar — not your sale-deed price and not a broker’s “going rate”.

Most of Medchal-Malkajgiri sits outside core GHMC. After municipal reorganisation, parts of the district fall under Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation, other urban local bodies, or Gram Panchayats. Do not assume the 2% slab. Confirm on the portal and with the Sub-Registrar whether the survey number is treated as GHMC or as “other area” before you pay.

Penalty if you already built or used the land

If agricultural land has already been put to a non-agricultural purpose without permission, Section 6 treats it as deemed conversion. The competent authority then imposes a fine of 50% over and above the conversion tax. Unpaid tax or penalty can be recovered under the Telangana Revenue Recovery Act, 1864.

A short statutory window to apply without that extra penalty was linked to a Government-notified three-month period after the 2020 amendment. Do not rely on that window unless you confirm a current notification still applies to your date of use.

What conversion tax does not include

Budget separately for:

Bhu Bharati / portal user charges

later annual non-agricultural assessment fixed by the local body

HMDA / DTCP development charges and layout fees

building-permission fees

survey / sub-division charges if only part of the survey number is converted

Who is the competent authority in Medchal? Tahsildar, RDO or Collector?

Search traffic still says “RDO Medchal NALA” because, for years, Revenue Divisional Officers handled conversion. After Act 19 of 2020, Section 5 of the 2006 Act names the Tahsildar (or any officer notified by the Government) as the authority competent to order conversion for land in that mandal.

In Medchal-Malkajgiri practice, the file still touches more than one desk:

Tahsildar of the mandal — statutory conversion order and Record of Rights update

RDO, Keesara Division or RDO, Malkajgiri Division — field supervision and, in some portal modules, higher login

District Collector, Medchal-Malkajgiri — statutory appeal under Section 8; also special portal modules (for example where the record already shows house / house-site)

Collectorate address for correspondence (verify before you visit): Integrated District Office Complex, Anthaipally Village, Shameerpet Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana – 500078. Division mapping (Keesara vs Malkajgiri) should be checked on the district website before you book a slot.

A writ to the Telangana High Court is exceptional. Courts often expect parties to first use the Section 8 appeal.

NALA vs HMDA / layout permission — the Medchal trap

Large parts of Medchal-Malkajgiri fall in the HMDA region. Conversion does not replace layout approval, building permission, FTL / buffer / nalas / HYDRAA restrictions, or master-plan land-use restrictions.

Panchayat and municipal laws generally bar building permission on land that has not been converted. The reverse is also true: a conversion order on land that cannot take the proposed use under planning law will not save an illegal layout.

If you are buying a “converted plot” on the Outer Ring Road belt, ask for both the conversion proceeding and the competent planning approval. One without the other is incomplete due diligence.

Step-by-step procedure on Bhu Bharati

Land records and NALA applications now run on Bhu Bharati (bhubharati.telangana.gov.in), which replaced the earlier Dharani transactional flow. Older articles that only mention Dharani are outdated for filing. Confirm the live menu on the portal on the day you apply.

Step 1 — Check eligibility on records, not on the brochure

Before you pay tax, pull the live record and check:

you are the pattedar / person entitled on the Record of Rights

the land is private patta land, not assigned land, government land, wakf, endowment or defence land

the survey number is not on the prohibited / Section 22-A list

there is no pending dispute, attachment, or status-quo order

FTL, buffer and nalas do not swallow the site

ceiling-law and Assigned Lands (POT) Act issues do not apply

the extent you want to convert matches the passbook and pahani

The affidavit you sign on the slot date must declare that the land does not violate the Telangana Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973, the Telangana Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977, and the Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, 1959. A false declaration is a serious problem later, including at the time of sale or bank mortgage.

Step 2 — Register and open Application for NALA

Create or log in to a Bhu Bharati citizen account with mobile OTP.

Open NALA then Application for NALA.

If no passbook was issued, use Application for NALA without PPB where that module is enabled.

If conversion was already granted in the Dharani era but Bhu Bharati still shows agriculture, use Application for Pending NALA and keep the old challan details ready.

Step 3 — Fetch khata, select survey number and extent

Enter the passbook number, fetch pattedar khata details, tick the survey number, and type the exact extent to be converted. Partial conversion of a survey number is common; do not convert more than you need unless the whole holding is going non-agricultural.

The portal is designed to auto-calculate conversion charges. Cross-check the basic value and the 2% / 3% slab before you pay. If the figure looks wrong, stop and get the Sub-Registrar basic-value extract rather than paying and fighting a refund later.

Step 4 — Pay conversion tax (and penalty if already used)

Pay through the portal gateway. Download and save the payment receipt. If the land is already under non-agricultural use, budget the extra 50% at this stage. The 2020 amendment requires tax (and penalty where applicable) to accompany the online application.

Step 5 — Book the slot and upload the undertaking

After payment, book the allotted date and time. Download the prescribed undertaking / affidavit, fill the declarations, upload it, and keep the original Pattadar Passbook-cum-Title Deed for the hearing.

On the allotted date you must attend before the competent authority with:

the affidavit in the prescribed form

Pattadar Passbook-cum-Title Deed

payment proof

identity proof

Step 6 — Order, RoR deletion and non-agricultural entry

If the land matches the Record of Rights on the portal and the tax (and penalty, if any) is adequate, the competent authority issues conversion permission. The Tahsildar is then required to delete that extent from the agricultural Record of Rights. Converted land is to be entered on the non-agricultural side of the portal, and a non-agricultural immovable property passbook is contemplated under the amended Act.

Do not treat the payment receipt as the final order. Download the conversion proceeding and then re-check the live RoR. Many Medchal disputes start because tax was paid but the classification never flipped.

Converted land may still be used only for the particular non-agricultural purpose after all other licences and planning permissions are obtained. Conversion is not a blanket licence to build anything.

Documents checklist for a Medchal NALA file

Keep scanned copies ready before login:

latest Pattadar Passbook-cum-Title Deed

Bhu Bharati / pahani / RoR 1-B print of the survey number

registered title deed and link documents

Aadhaar of the applicant

basic-value / market-value extract from the Sub-Registrar

sketch / tippon showing the exact extent

latest encumbrance certificate

co-pattedar NOC or partition proof if the khata is joint

photographs of existing use if the land is already built upon

old NALA challan and order, if you are regularising or mapping a past conversion

GPA / board resolution / authorisation if a company or attorney is applying

The portal may not demand every paper at upload, but the Tahsildar can stall the file at the slot if title, extent or prohibition flags do not match.

Timelines that actually matter

Stage	Practical time-point
Online application + tax payment	Same day, if records fetch cleanly
Slot attendance	As allotted on the portal
Conversion order after a clean record and full tax	Promptly after the slot if there is no objection. Do not treat any 15-day deemed grant as automatic without checking the current rules (to be verified).
Appeal to District Collector	60 days from receipt of the Tahsildar’s order (Section 8)
Writ to Telangana High Court	Only after the statutory appeal is not adequate on the facts
Building / layout applications	After conversion, not before

If the portal rejects the file, read the rejection reason. Typical blocks in this district are prohibited-list flags, assigned-land remarks, mismatch of extent, joint pattedars, pending mutation, and house/house-site already shown records that need a different module.

If conversion is refused or delayed

Check application status on Bhu Bharati (eChallan / Application Status).

Cure the defect — wrong extent, missing co-owner consent, unpaid deficit tax.

File a Section 8 appeal before the District Collector, Medchal-Malkajgiri within 60 days of receiving the Tahsildar’s order. Collector includes the Joint Collector or any officer of that rank authorised by the Government. An RDO is not the Section 8 appellate authority.

If the record itself is wrong, use the Bhu Bharati RoR-correction / pending-NALA modules rather than only arguing conversion.

A writ under Article 226 is for jurisdictional error, breach of statute, or inaction after the statutory channel is exhausted — not a first substitute for the Collector appeal.

Common mistakes in Medchal NALA files

Paying a broker to arrange NALA without an online application in your name

Treating a payment challan as conversion permission

Converting only on paper while the live RoR still shows agriculture

Buying a plot because the brochure says NALA approved without reading the survey number and extent in the order

Ignoring assigned-land, ceiling, 22-A, FTL or defence-land flags that are common on the ORR / Shamirpet / Keesara belt

Assuming conversion equals HMDA layout approval

Applying in one pattedar’s name on a joint khata

Building first and applying later, then being surprised by the 50% penalty

Missing the 60-day Collector appeal and rushing to the High Court

Converting the land and then using it for a different purpose than the one supported by planning permission

When to consult an advocate

Speak to a local revenue-and-property lawyer before you pay tax if:

the land is assigned, ceiling-tainted, or on the prohibited list

there is a pending civil suit, injunction or status-quo order

Bhu Bharati classification does not match the physical use

you are a buyer and the seller only has a challan, not an order

co-sharers or legal heirs are not on the passbook

the site is in an FTL / buffer / nalas / HYDRAA sensitive pocket

the Tahsildar has rejected the application and the 60-day clock is running

Action checklist

Confirm the survey number, extent and pattedar name on Bhu Bharati.

Confirm basic value and whether the 2% GHMC or 3% non-GHMC slab applies.

Rule out assigned land, 22-A prohibition, FTL/buffer and pending disputes.

Apply online: NALA / NALA without PPB / Pending NALA, as the record requires.

Pay conversion tax (plus 50% if already used for a non-agricultural purpose).

Book the slot, sign the statutory affidavit, attend with the passbook.

Download the conversion order; do not stop at the receipt.

Re-check that agricultural RoR is deleted and non-agricultural entry is live.

Only then apply for HMDA / DTCP / local-body building or layout permission.

If refused, appeal to the District Collector, Medchal-Malkajgiri within 60 days.

Conclusion

NALA conversion in Medchal is a revenue process: apply on Bhu Bharati, pay conversion tax on basic value, attend the Tahsildar slot with the statutory affidavit, and then confirm that the Record of Rights has actually changed. The expensive mistakes are building first, confusing conversion with HMDA permission, and walking away after paying tax without downloading the order. If the Tahsildar refuses or the record will not fetch, the first legal remedy is the Collector appeal — not a broker and not an immediate writ.

Disclaimer

Informational only This article is for general public information on Telangana agricultural-to-non-agricultural conversion. It is not legal advice, not a government circular, and not a substitute for reading your Bhu Bharati record, the 2006 Act as amended, and the latest conversion-tax G.O. Outcomes depend on title, location, planning restrictions and the live portal workflow. Conversion-tax slabs, portal menus and office jurisdictions should be verified on the date of filing.

Dharani / Bhu Bharati portal disputes, TM31 and Collector remedies

Land encroachment remedies in Telangana — Collector and civil-court steps

Section 22-A prohibited property list — Telangana NOC procedure

How to cancel a registered sale deed — grounds, procedure and interim relief

Injunction to prevent dispossession — interim application in Hyderabad courts

Document evidence in India — originals, certified copies and digital records

Partition suits in Telangana — procedure, evidence and limitation

Inam land disputes in Medchal — ORC and civil remedies

Bhu Bharati NALA application screen for Medchal agricultural land conversion

Map of Medchal-Malkajgiri revenue divisions Keesara and Malkajgiri

Sample flow: conversion tax payment, Tahsildar slot, RoR update

Checklist graphic of documents for RDO Medchal NALA file

Suggested consultation CTA

Need a Medchal survey number checked before you pay NALA conversion charges? Share the passbook extract, pahani and proposed use. We will map the competent Tahsildar / RDO, the likely 2% or 3% slab, prohibition flags, and whether you also need HMDA or local-body permission — then draft the affidavit and, if required, the Collector appeal.