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District guide
Buying Land in Kullu
A permission-led Beas valley district where section 118, flood history and a half-finished four-lane matter more than any per-acre price.
4.38 lakh
Population (Census 2011)
5,503 sq km
Area
State permission (s.118)
Non-farmer buyers
6%–8%; women 4%–8%
Stamp duty (reported Sep 2026)
*Indicative range across districts and land types. Stamp duty, registration and conversion charges are additional. Local measurement units vary — every listing states the unit it is priced in. Not a valuation or an offer.
Himbhoomi — Himachal Pradesh Land Records PortalDistrict land record — Kullu
Rev. 2026 · Farmland India desk
State
Himachal Pradesh (Kullu valley, upper Beas basin)
Sub-divisions
5 development blocks per the state marketing board: Kullu · Anni · Nirmand · Banjar · Naggar
Key markets
Kullu town · Manali · Naggar · Bhuntar · Banjar · Anni
Agricultural land
Non-agriculturists need State Government permission under section 118; NRIs and OCIs barred under FEMA
Terrain
About 500 m to 5,000 m above sea level; people live only up to about 3,500 m
Demand anchors
Manali tourism · Atal Tunnel access to Lahaul · apple and stone-fruit belt
Air and rail
Kullu–Manali airport at Bhuntar, runway 1,052 m (2021 report) · rail link not checked
Size and population
5,503 sq km · 4,37,903 people (Census 2011)
Pricing unit
₹/acre or ₹/sq m; no local land unit is used on this page
Permission limits
Rule 38A: 4 acres farm or orchard · 500 sq m house · 300 sq m shop
Land records portal
Himbhoomi (jamabandi, shajra nasb, mutation register, copies)
Land law is state law. These rules are maintained on the Himachal Pradesh page and apply to every district within it.
Kullu — land purchase legal rules (Section 118)
⚠ Under Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, a non-agriculturist cannot acquire land in the state without prior State Government permission (Section 118 text, Indian Kanoon). Stamp duty on permitted transfers was raised from 6% to 12% by an ordinance of 18 February 2025 (Legitquest copy).
Who can buy without permission? Only an agriculturist, which the Act defines as a person who cultivates land personally in the state (section 2(2), PRS copy of the Act). Out-of-state buyers do not qualify. Nor, according to The Tribune, October 2025, do Himachalis who hold no agricultural land; they need Revenue Department relaxation too.
Section 118 permission: the Act makes a transfer to a non-agriculturist invalid without it, and the section covers sale, gift, exchange, lease and mortgage with possession (Indian Kanoon). In Ajay Dabra v. Pyare Ram (31 January 2023) the Supreme Court held that land cannot pass to a non-agriculturist without prior State permission (LiveLaw, February 2023). The application goes to the Collector on Form LRXIV, with caps of 4 acres for farming, 500 sq m for a house and 300 sq m for a shop (Rule 38A, Rules of 1975). The rules allow the Collector 10 days and the State 10 days; The Tribune (October 2025) describes the process as lengthy, with several NOCs and some cases going to Cabinet, and gives no timeline.
The 12% duty: the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, dated 18 February 2025, sets duty at 12% of the higher of market value or consideration where the State grants permission under section 118(2)(h), regardless of gender (Legitquest copy). UNI reported in March 2025 that the rate had doubled from 6% as a bill was tabled (UNI, March 2025). Budgets drawn up before 2025 on a 6% basis are out of date.
A pending amendment: Bill 25 of 2025 would change Section 118, including a 3 plus 2 year use period and flats in RERA-registered projects up to 500 sq m (PRS bill text). The Assembly sent it to a select committee on 5 December 2025 (The Tribune, December 2025). We found no report that it has passed; until it does, the 1972 text applies.
NRI & OCI buyers: the RBI Master Direction under FEMA 1999 bars NRIs and OCIs from buying agricultural land, plantation land or a farm house (RBI Master Direction FED 12/2015-16). A Section 118 permission is a state matter and does not lift that bar.
- Section 118 required
- Stamp duty: 12% (Section 118)
- Rule 38A application
- No open-district carve-out
- NRI agri: barred (FEMA)
- Himbhoomi
Kullu — district-specific notes
Himachal Pradesh’s land-transfer law applies to Kullu in full, and the notes below are the parts a Kullu buyer meets first. Law read in October 2026 from the published text of section 118 and Rule 38A, the Assembly bill, the Supreme Court report and press reports. The Revenue Department’s own pages did not open, so ask the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kullu for the current forms and fees.
⚠ Who may buy: section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 makes a transfer of land to a person who is not an agriculturist invalid, and its explanation reaches benami deals and power-of-attorney or agreement arrangements that put such a person in control (section 118 text, Indian Kanoon). An agriculturist is a person who cultivates land personally in an estate in Himachal Pradesh (section 2(2), PRS copy of the Act). The Supreme Court repeated the bar on 31 January 2023 in Ajay Dabra v. Pyare Ram: a non-agriculturist may buy only with the State Government’s prior permission (Supreme Court, January 2023). A Himachali who holds no farm land also needs that permission (The Tribune, Oct 2025). NRIs and OCIs may not buy agricultural land, plantation land or a farm house under FEMA (RBI Master Direction, updated September 2022).
⚠ The permission route: clause (h) of section 118(2) lets the State Government permit a non-agriculturist to buy for a stated purpose. Rule 38A says the applicant files Form LRXIV with the Collector, who reports on the land and title and recommends to the State Government within 10 days, and the State decides within 10 days; a refused applicant may seek review within 60 days. The Rule caps farm or orchard land at 4 acres, a house at 500 sq m and a shop at 300 sq m, and the permission lasts 180 days unless extended (Rule 38A, Indian Kanoon). Those are rule timelines. In October 2025 The Tribune reported that applicants must collect no-objection certificates from several agencies and that some approvals reach the Cabinet, and that 215 cases were approved from 2022 to 31 July 2025, about 110 residential and 75 for tourism projects (The Tribune, Oct 2025).
⚠ Use it or lose it: a buyer under clause (h) must put the land to the approved use within the period in the second proviso, and land that is left unused, diverted or sold on without permission vests in the State free of encumbrances (section 118 text, Indian Kanoon). A March 2023 amendment lengthened the periods from two years and one year to three years and two years (TeamLease RegTech, Mar 2023). On 26 September 2025 the High Court held, in CWP No. 3363 of 2025, that active progress within the period is enough because the section says “put to use” and not “complete the project” (High Court of Himachal Pradesh, September 2025). A change from residential to commercial use needs fresh permission, a Financial Commissioner order of November 2018 held (Swarajya, Nov 2018).
⚠ The 2025 amendment bill: Bill 25 of 2025, introduced on 2 December 2025, would exempt rural building leases of up to ten years, let cooperative societies made up wholly of agriculturists acquire land, and exempt a non-agriculturist who buys a flat or building from a state-registered real estate project for own residence up to 500 sq m of built-up area (Bill 25 of 2025, PRS). The Assembly sent it to a select committee on 5 December 2025 (The Tribune, Dec 2025), and a committee was reported formed by 16 December (The Tribune, Dec 2025). We found no report that it has passed, so treat section 118 as unchanged for farm land; as drafted, the bill deals with buildings, leases and agriculturist cooperatives and does not let a non-agriculturist buy farm land. We found no official scheme called “rent to own” and no published definition of a “bona fide Himachali” in the sources opened, so ask any agent who cites either for the notification number.
⚠ Enforcement and fees: The Tribune reported in September 2024 a Palampur sale deed allegedly registered on a forged agriculturist certificate, with the SDM saying she would begin cancellation (The Tribune, Sep 2024); these are reported allegations and the outcome was not given. Draft rules published in September 2024 proposed building-plan fees 150 per cent higher for non-agriculturists who bought under a section 118 relaxation (The Tribune, Sep 2024). We did not find the final rule. A power of attorney or an agreement that hands control of farm land to a non-agriculturist falls within the explanation to section 118(1), so it is not a way around the permission.
⚠ Planning and the Kullu plan: under the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, development or a change of land use in a notified planning area needs the Director’s written permission (sections 27 and 30), unauthorised work is punishable and can be sealed or removed (sections 38 to 39-B), and section 30-A exempts some rural land in areas with no plan (Act text, Town and Country Planning Department). The Tribune reported in February 2022 that a Kullu valley development plan to 2041 was being prepared under AMRUT with suggestions invited (The Tribune, Feb 2022), and in May 2019 that Kullu-Manali still had no development plan (The Tribune, May 2019). We did not find a notified plan or the department’s list of planning and special areas for Kullu. Near the Great Himalayan National Park, the draft eco-sensitive zone published on 5 August 2016 ran from 500 m to 6 km beyond the park boundary and was recommended in February 2017 subject to more information (Ministry of Environment, February 2017); we did not find the final notification.
⚠ Hazard record: the IIT Mandi damage report for the district authorities covers the floods of 7 to 13 July 2023, says about 120 people died in the Beas basin region and records five bridges washed away in Kullu district (IIT Mandi for HPSDMA, October 2023). Residents said in July 2024 that parts of the Kullu–Manali highway and the Beas embankment were still not restored (The Tribune, Jul 2024). Four cloudbursts hit the Manikaran, Banjar and Sainj valleys and Solang within 24 hours on 25 June 2025 (Down To Earth, Jun 2025), and a building collapsed at Anni on 2 September 2025 during heavy rain (The Tribune, Sep 2025). The Supreme Court said on 28 July 2025, in its own case on Himachal’s ecology, that revenue cannot be earned at the cost of the environment (The Tribune, Sep 2025).
Read the state-wise land laws guide for how Himachal Pradesh compares with the other corridor states, and the NRI and FEMA guide for overseas buyers.
- Section 118 permission
- 4 acres / 500 sq m / 300 sq m limits
- 2025 bill in committee
- NRI agri: barred (FEMA)
- Planning permission
- 2023 and 2025 floods
District overview
Kullu — the Beas valley district behind Manali
Kullu is the Beas valley district of Himachal Pradesh that holds Manali, Naggar and the Bhuntar airport. It covers 5,503 sq km and had 4,37,903 people at the 2011 Census, with land running from about 500 m to 5,000 m although people live only up to about 3,500 m (HP State Agricultural Marketing Board; Central Ground Water Board, March 2013). The ICAR district plan puts the net sown area at 36.3 thousand hectares, about 6.6% of the district, with apple the dominant crop on 19.5 thousand hectares (ICAR-CRIDA, 2012). Farm land is a small share of a large, steep district, which is why the legal gate matters more here than yield.
The buying rules are the main filter. A buyer who is not an agriculturist needs the State Government’s permission under section 118, the permission is tied to a purpose and an area cap, and unused land can vest in the State (Indian Kanoon text; Rule 38A). A Himachali without farm land is in the same position (The Tribune, October 2025), and NRIs and OCIs are barred from agricultural land altogether (RBI, updated September 2022). An amendment bill introduced in December 2025 sits with a select committee and, as drafted, does not open farm land to outside buyers (PRS).
The ground is the second filter. The IIT Mandi report records the July 2023 floods, with five bridges washed away in the district (IIT Mandi for HPSDMA, October 2023), and four cloudbursts struck the Manikaran, Banjar and Sainj valleys and Solang within 24 hours on 25 June 2025 (Down To Earth, Jun 2025). A buyer should walk the stream lines, the access road and the river bank before looking at any price.
Access has improved. The Atal Tunnel, 9.02 km long, was dedicated on 3 October 2020 and links Manali with Lahaul-Spiti through the year (PIB, October 2020). On the Kiratpur–Manali four-lane, the Takoli–Kullu and Kullu–Manali sections were reported complete in 2023 (The Tribune, May 2024), two Pandoh–Takoli tunnels opened on 11 September 2026 with one carriageway each (The Tribune, Sep 2026), and the Mandi–Pandoh stretch was still under construction in February 2026 (The Tribune, Feb 2026). The Centre told the Rajya Sabha in July 2026 that extending the Bhuntar runway is not viable (Swarajya, Jul 2026).
- Beas valley
- Manali
- Naggar
- Bhuntar
- Banjar
- Anni
- Section 118
- Atal Tunnel
Transaction costs
Stamp duty & registration in Kullu
6%–8%
Stamp duty, most buyers (reported)
6% up to ₹40 lakh, 8% above
4%–8%
Women buyers (reported)
4% up to ₹1 crore, 8% above
2%
Registration fee
of the higher of market value or price
The Assembly passed the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026 on 3 September 2026, replacing Schedule 1-A with the rates shown here (ANI, September 2026; The News Himachal, September 2026). The reports also give 0.1% for transfers between spouses and close blood relatives and 12% for non-residents acquiring land with section 118 permission (Outlook Money, September 2026); ANI does not mention the 12% figure, so read it as reported once. A separate bill, Bill 4 of 2026, would extend the window for undervaluation proceedings from three to ten years (PRS, Bill 4 of 2026). We found no effective date or gazette text, so confirm the rate that applies to a section 118 buyer with the Sub-Registrar before budgeting.
The registration fee is 2% of the market value or the consideration, whichever is higher, with a ₹100 minimum, under the Revenue Department notification of 12 January 2012 (Government of Himachal Pradesh, January 2012); we saw no later notification. The Tribune reported in September 2025 that circle rates in several districts had gone unrevised for about five years, with a 7.5% cap on yearly increases (The Tribune, September 2025); the article does not name Kullu.
Know the belt
What shapes land values in Kullu
Five belts and one note on units. No dated price series was found for any of them, so each card records what is documented about the ground instead. Check every figure against a registered deed.
Kullu–Manali valley and the Beas bank
No price evidence found
This is the stretch where the highway and the Beas run together. About 16 km of the Mandi–Manali road was damaged in July 2023, mainly between Patlikuhal and Manali (The Tribune, Jul 2023), and a ₹1,669 crore report to channelise the Beas from Palchan to Aut had not progressed for lack of funds by August 2024 (The Tribune, Aug 2024).
Check: distance from the bank, embankment condition and whether the parcel was wet in 2023.
Banjar, Sainj and the Seraj side
No price evidence found
Five homes were washed away at Sinyud Viyali village in Banjar in the cloudbursts of 25 June 2025 (Down To Earth, Jun 2025), and at Jeevanala in Sainj three people were swept away and four houses destroyed (News On AIR, Jun 2025). Parts of the Parvati and Sainj valley roads were still unrestored a year after 2023 (The Tribune, Jul 2024).
Check: stream and nullah lines on the parcel, road access in the monsoon and eco-sensitive zone status.
Anni and the outer Seraj road
No price evidence found
An under-construction building near the Anni bus stand, vacant since the 2023 landslide, collapsed in heavy rain on 2 September 2025, and the SDM moved residents out of other vulnerable buildings (The Tribune, Sep 2025).
Check: slope stability, building history and whether a planning area applies.
Land along the Kiratpur–Manali four-lane
No price evidence found
The project is meant to cut Kiratpur–Manali from 232 km to 195 km (The Tribune, May 2024). Two Pandoh–Takoli tunnels opened on 11 September 2026 with one carriageway each (The Tribune, Sep 2026), so travel times will keep changing.
Check: whether the parcel sits inside a highway right of way or a future access cut.
Duty rates and circle rates
Reported 4%–8% (Sep 2026)
Stamp duty rates were reported at 6% or 8% for most buyers and 4% or 8% for women, from the bill passed on 3 September 2026 (ANI, Sep 2026). Circle rates in several districts had not been revised for about five years (The Tribune, January 2025); the article does not name Kullu.
Check: the village circle rate at the Sub-Registrar and the date any new schedule takes effect.
Units used on this page
Rule 38A writes its limits in acres and square metres (Rule 38A, Indian Kanoon), so this page does too. We found no sourced conversion for local land units in Kullu and have left them out. Read the land measurement units guide and take the area in square metres from the jamabandi and the sale deed.
Connectivity
How Kullu connects — road, rail and air
Road, air and tunnel facts come from PIB, the Rajya Sabha reply and press reports. Journey times vary with weather and with how much of the four-lane is open.
By road
By air
By tunnel and rail
The practical connectivity question is the last leg: whether the road to a parcel survives the monsoon. About 16 km of the Mandi–Manali road was damaged in July 2023 and NHAI expected months before Kullu–Manali was smooth (The Tribune, Jul 2023), and portions were still unrestored a year later (The Tribune, Jul 2024). Ask who owns the access road and what state it was in after the 2025 rains. The state-wise land laws guide explains how buyer rules differ across the corridor.
Growth catalysts
Upcoming infrastructure & developments
Status labels reflect sources read in October 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed; items marked confirm have a single or dated source.
02Operational
03In progress, planned or proposed
Agriculture & terrain
Soil, crops & water in Kullu
Terraced valley floors, apple and stone-fruit slopes and a river that left its banks in 2023. Access, slope and stream lines matter as much as soil.
🌾 Valley floor and lower slopes (Kullu, Bhuntar, Banjar)
The ICAR plan counts 19 soil types, the largest a shallow loamy skeletal soil of the Lesser Himalayas on 27.4% of the district. Net sown area is 36.3 thousand hectares with a cropping intensity of 179%, and only 2.8 thousand hectares are irrigated against 33.6 thousand rainfed. Wheat (21.8 thousand ha) and maize (16.0 thousand ha) lead the field crops (ICAR-CRIDA, 2012). The plan dates from 2012, and we did not open a newer crop-area table.
- Wheat
- Maize
- Rajmash
- Barley
🍎 The apple and stone-fruit belt
Apple covers 19.5 thousand hectares, with average production of 258.6 thousand tonnes and productivity of about 13,236 kg per hectare in the ICAR plan; stone fruits cover 2.4 thousand hectares and garlic and onion 1.8 thousand (ICAR-CRIDA, 2012). The Horticulture Department’s current series did not open, so treat these as 2012-era figures. Under the permission route a non-agriculturist may buy farm or orchard land only up to 4 acres (Rule 38A).
- Apple
- Stone fruit
- Garlic
- Onion
🌊 The Beas, side streams and the flood line
The July 2023 floods killed about 120 people in the Beas basin region according to IIT Mandi’s report for the district authorities, which records five bridges washed away in Kullu and damage to 196 of 483 water-supply intake facilities (IIT Mandi for HPSDMA, October 2023). Tourist arrivals in the district fell from 4.62 lakh in June 2023 to 19,124 in July (The Tribune, August 2024). Side streams struck again in the cloudbursts of 25 June 2025 (Down To Earth, June 2025). Ask for flood history, not just a map.
- Beas
- Cloudburst
- Nullah
- Embankment
💧 Water & groundwater
The valley deposits hold the best aquifers, yielding 10 to 25 litres per second, while the hard-rock hills yield 1 to 5; depth to water in the Kullu valley ran from 1.62 m to 31.45 m below ground in the Central Ground Water Board booklet of March 2013 (CGWB, March 2013). The booklet did not compute the stage of extraction, citing hilly terrain, so no category is stated, and we did not open a newer assessment.
📐 Measurement units & market prices
Rule 38A writes its area limits in acres and square metres, and this page follows it (Rule 38A). We found no sourced current apple price series for the district, so price a parcel on legal status, access and hazard exposure rather than on orchard income.
At a glance
Kullu vs. its neighbours
| District / belt | Price band* (per acre unless stated) | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Kullu — Beas valley (Kullu to Manali) | Not found | No dated price in sources reviewed; flood damage documented for July 2023 (IIT Mandi) |
| Kullu — Banjar, Sainj and Seraj side | Not found | No dated price in sources reviewed; cloudbursts on 25 June 2025 (Down To Earth) |
| Mandi — same highway, Mandi–Pandoh stretch | Not found | Stretch still under construction in Feb 2026; two tunnels opened in Mandi district on 11 Sep 2026 (The Tribune) |
| Lahaul and Spiti — via the Atal Tunnel | Not found | Year-round road link since Oct 2020 (PIB); land rules for the district not reviewed |
No asking or registered prices were found for any belt, so the table says so rather than filling cells. Rows are not like-for-like and carry no valuation. See the Mandi page for the adjoining highway belt, the Shimla page for the southern neighbour, and the land measurement guide for unit conversions.
Farmland India view
Why investors look at Kullu
Six reasoned points, with an honest note that the permission gate, hazard exposure and the lack of price evidence are the main limits.
A legal gate that limits who can buy
Because a non-agriculturist needs State permission, the buyer pool for farm land is narrow, and the State approved 215 section 118 cases from 2022 to July 2025 (The Tribune, Oct 2025). For outside buyers the paperwork, not the price, is the first hurdle.
Road access that has improved
The Atal Tunnel gives Lahaul year-round access (Press Information Bureau), and the Kiratpur–Manali four-lane has opened its Kullu sections and two new tunnels (The Tribune, Sep 2026). Mandi–Pandoh was still under way in February 2026 (The Tribune, Feb 2026).
An airport that cannot grow
The Centre said in July 2026 that extending the Bhuntar runway is not viable (Swarajya, Jul 2026), so air access is likely to stay limited, and land priced on a bigger airport carries that risk.
A hazard record to price in
The July 2023 floods and the June 2025 cloudbursts are documented (IIT Mandi, October 2023; Down To Earth, June 2025). Land away from the river and stream lines is a different product from land on them.
An apple belt with documented acreage
The ICAR plan puts apple at 19.5 thousand hectares, the largest crop in the district (ICAR-CRIDA, 2012). The figures are from 2012, so check a current orchard record before relying on them.
Clean paperwork is the edge
Failing to report an acquisition to the patwari within three months is penalised (Land Revenue Act, 1954), and land bought without the right permission can vest in the State (section 118). A buyer who reads the jamabandi, the permission order and the mutation entry avoids most of that.
Confirm title, section 118 status, flood history and planning-area status directly; these are not certified by Farmland India’s review.
Risks & challenges in Kullu
Read these before shortlisting in Kullu specifically.
Invalid transfers and vesting in the State
A transfer to a non-agriculturist without permission is invalid, and a declared-void transfer vests the land and its buildings in the State free of encumbrances (section 118 text, Indian Kanoon). Ask for the permission order and check its purpose and area against the deed.
Workarounds that do not work
Power-of-attorney and agreement arrangements that hand control to a non-agriculturist fall within the explanation to section 118(1) (Indian Kanoon). The Tribune reported in September 2024 a sale deed allegedly registered on a forged agriculturist certificate (The Tribune, Sep 2024).
Use period and change of use
Clause (h) land must be put to the approved use within the proviso period or it vests in the State (section 118), and the High Court said in September 2025 that active progress is enough (High Court of Himachal Pradesh, September 2025). Moving from residential to commercial use needs fresh permission (Swarajya, Nov 2018).
Floods, cloudbursts and landslides
The July 2023 floods and the 25 June 2025 cloudbursts are documented (IIT Mandi, October 2023; Down To Earth, June 2025), and a building collapsed at Anni on 2 September 2025 (The Tribune, Sep 2025). Ask for flood and slide history and see where the nearest stream runs.
Planning permission and no notified plan found
Development in a planning area needs the Director’s permission, and unauthorised work can be punished, sealed or removed (Town and Country Planning Act, 1977). We found no notified Kullu plan (The Tribune, February 2022), so the zoning of a village is open.
Eco-sensitive zone and forest edge
A draft zone around the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area ran from 500 m to 6 km (Ministry of Environment, February 2017), and the Supreme Court is hearing a case on Himachal’s ecology (The Tribune, Sep 2025). Confirm the final zone and any forest-land status with the Divisional Forest Officer.
Thin price evidence and a changing duty schedule
No dated price series was found, and the stamp-duty schedule was passed in September 2026 without a found effective date (ANI, Sep 2026). Collect registered deeds for the village before bidding.
Who to contact
Local revenue & planning offices
Mutation and revenue-record matters go through the patwari and Tehsildar. Under section 35 of the Land Revenue Act, 1954 an acquisition of land must be reported to the patwari, who enters it in the register of mutations, and section 40 penalises failure to report within three months (India Code, Land Revenue Act). A section 118 application starts with the Collector, who is the Deputy Commissioner (Rule 38A; High Court of Himachal Pradesh, December 2023). The Kullu district site and the Revenue Department pages did not open, so the tehsil list is not given; the state marketing board lists five development blocks, Kullu, Anni, Nirmand, Banjar and Naggar (HPSAMB).
Sale-deed registration is handled by the Sub-Registrar. Himbhoomi, the state land-records system, holds the jamabandi, shajra nasb, mutation register and khasra girdawari and issues copies (Kinnaur district page, describing the state system). Building plans and change of land use go to the Town and Country Planning Department (Act text). The 2023 damage report was prepared for the state and Kullu district disaster management authorities, so the district authority is the office to ask about flood and slide history (IIT Mandi for HPSDMA, October 2023).
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Guides & research
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Everything buyers, NRIs and investors ask before their first reviewed farmland purchase in Kullu.
Visit full wiki01 of 04
Can anyone buy agricultural land in Kullu?
No. Under section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 a transfer to someone who is not an agriculturist is invalid unless the State Government permits it, and an agriculturist is a person who cultivates land personally in the state (Indian Kanoon text of section 118; Supreme Court, Ajay Dabra v. Pyare Ram, January 2023). The Tribune reported in October 2025 that a Himachali without farm land also needs permission. Rule 38A caps permitted purchases at 4 acres for farming or orchards, 500 sq m for a house and 300 sq m for a shop. NRIs and OCIs are barred from agricultural land under FEMA. Ask the Deputy Commissioner’s office for the current forms.
02 of 04
Has the 2025 amendment to section 118 become law?
We found no report that it has. Bill 25 of 2025, introduced on 2 December 2025, would exempt rural building leases of up to ten years, cooperatives made up wholly of agriculturists, and flats bought from state-registered projects for own residence up to 500 sq m, and the Assembly sent it to a select committee on 5 December 2025 (PRS; The Tribune, December 2025). As drafted it does not let a non-agriculturist buy farm land.
03 of 04
What are stamp duty and registration costs in Kullu?
Press reports of the Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed on 3 September 2026, give 6% up to ₹40 lakh and 8% above for most buyers and 4% up to ₹1 crore and 8% above for women, with 12% reported for non-residents buying with section 118 permission (ANI, The News Himachal, Outlook Money, September 2026). The registration fee is 2% of the higher of market value or price under a notification of 12 January 2012. We found no effective date, so confirm with the Sub-Registrar.
04 of 04
Is Kullu land exposed to floods and landslides?
Yes, in places. The IIT Mandi report for the district authorities covers the floods of 7 to 13 July 2023 and records five bridges washed away in Kullu, and four cloudbursts hit the Manikaran, Banjar and Sainj valleys and Solang on 25 June 2025 (HPSDMA, October 2023; Down To Earth, June 2025). Ask for flood and slide history and see where the nearest stream runs.
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Sources and references
Law and courts
- Section 118, Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 (published text, with amendment notes to 2007), Indian Kanoon
- Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Rules, 1975 (rule 38A and Form LRXIV), Indian Kanoon
- Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972 (Act 8 of 1974), copy with amendments to 2023, section 2(2), PRS Legislative Research
- Ajay Dabra v. Pyare Ram, Supreme Court, 31 Jan 2023, report, LiveLaw, Feb 2023
- High Court of Himachal Pradesh, CWP No. 3363 of 2025, 26 Sep 2025, on use of land within the section 118 period, report, LiveLaw, Sep 2025
- Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act, 1954 (sections 32 to 46 read; text beyond section 77 not read), India Code
- Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 (2018 text), Town and Country Planning Department, HP
- Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Bill 25 of 2025), PRS Legislative Research
- Indian Stamp (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Bill 4 of 2026), PRS Legislative Research
Government
- Master Direction FED 12/2015-16 on immovable assets under FEMA 1999, updated to 1 Sep 2022, Reserve Bank of India
- Table of registration fees, Revenue Department notification of 12 Jan 2012, Government of Himachal Pradesh
- Kullu District Damage Report: Technical Assessment and Suggestions, IIT Mandi for HPSDMA and DDMA Kullu, Oct 2023, HP State Disaster Management Authority
- Ground Water Information Booklet, Kullu District, Mar 2013, Central Ground Water Board
- District Agriculture Contingency Plan, Kullu, 2012, ICAR-CRIDA
- Minutes of the 24th Expert Committee on eco-sensitive zones (Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area), 27-28 Feb 2017, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Prime Minister dedicates to the Nation the Atal Tunnel, 3 Oct 2020, Press Information Bureau
- Kullu district profile, HP State Agricultural Marketing Board
- Land records (Himbhoomi), Kinnaur district page describing the state system, Kinnaur district administration, NIC
News
- Bill to amend section 118 introduced, 2 Dec 2025, The Tribune, Dec 2025
- House sends section 118 changes to select panel, The Tribune, Dec 2025
- Select committee formed to examine proposed amendments in section 118, The Tribune, Dec 2025
- Government mulls making section 118 less cumbersome, The Tribune, Oct 2025
- Non-Himachalis to pay 150% higher fees for building plan approval, The Tribune, Sep 2024
- Non-Himachali purchases land on forged documents in Palampur, The Tribune, Sep 2024
- Non-Himachalis who changed land use without government approval to face the heat, Swarajya, Nov 2018
- Himachal Assembly passes Stamp Duty Bill; amendments restore women’s concession, ANI, Sep 2026
- Himachal Assembly passes Stamp Duty Amendment Bill amid opposition protest, The News Himachal, Sep 2026
- Himachal Pradesh sets out new stamp duty structure (4 Sep 2026), Outlook Money, Sep 2026
- Circle rate paralysis: Himachal losing crores, The Tribune, Sep 2025
- 11 years on, Kiratpur-Manali 4-lane project hangs fire, The Tribune, May 2024
- Tunnels open on Kiratpur-Manali highway, Pandoh jams set to ease, The Tribune, Sep 2026
- NHAI reviews progress of Kiratpur-Manali highway, The Tribune, Feb 2026
- Monsoon fury: 16-km stretch damaged, opening of Kiratpur-Nerchowk highway delayed, The Tribune, Jul 2023
- Infra damaged in 2023 flash flood yet to be fully restored in Kullu, The Tribune, Jul 2024
- Lack of funds for Beas channelisation harms Kullu-Manali tourism industry, The Tribune, Aug 2024
- Monsoon chaos in Himachal: Kullu valley hit by 4 cloudbursts in 24 hours, Down To Earth, Jun 2025
- Heavy rains lash Himachal Pradesh; cloudbursts, flash floods claim 5 lives, News On AIR, Jun 2025
- Woman buried under debris in Kullu; building collapses in Anni, The Tribune, Sep 2025
- SC to pass order on ecological imbalance in state on Sept 23, The Tribune, Sep 2025
- Centre rules out runway extension at Shimla and Kullu airports, Swarajya, Jul 2026
- Bhuntar airport runway awaits extension, The Tribune, Aug 2021
- Suggestions sought for Kullu master plan, The Tribune, Feb 2022
- Carrying capacity of Manali, McLeodganj being assessed, The Tribune, May 2019
Further reading
- Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, record page (metadata only; text not shown), India Code
- State of H.P. v. Vinod Gupta, CWP No. 5554 of 2020, High Court of Himachal Pradesh, 19 Dec 2023, Verdictum (judgment PDF)
- Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 2022, published 27 Mar 2023, TeamLease RegTech, Mar 2023
- Section 118 to be simplified: amendment bill presented, 2 Dec 2025, The Week (PTI), Dec 2025
- Select committee to review proposed changes to the Tenancy Act, 5 Dec 2025, The Statesman, Dec 2025
- Non-Himachalis allowed to purchase land in 674 cases, The Tribune, Sep 2020
- State losing crores due to stagnant circle rates, The Tribune, Jan 2025
- Mandi-Pandoh stretch of Manali NH likely to be completed by month-end, The Tribune, Aug 2025
- Four tunnels on Kiratpur-Manali highway ready, will bypass Mandi, The Tribune, Sep 2024
- Mandi-Kullu 4-laning nears completion, The Tribune, Mar 2023
Data-currency note: sources were read in October 2026. Census figures are from 2011 and the ICAR crop figures from 2012. The Revenue Department, Himbhoomi, the Kullu district site and the NHAI and Horticulture Department pages did not open, so statements about them rest on the published statute text, PIB and press reports. Laws, bills, duty rates and highway status change often, and this page does not give prices because none could be cited. General information, not legal advice. Report inaccuracies to wiki@farmlandindia.com.
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