Part 3 of my Konkan Land Compliance Series
A beautiful brochure and a confident sales pitch prove nothing. What proves a project is real is a registration number and an approved land use.
I work with investors across Sindhudurg and Goa, and I check every property for legal compliance before it reaches a client. I do it in four layers:
📍 Layer 1: Can you build here? (CRZ zoning)
📍 Layer 2: Who really owns it? (7/12 extract)
📍 Layer 3: Is the land and project approved? (RERA and NA)
Parts 1 and 2 covered CRZ and the 7/12. This post covers Layer 3: whether the project is registered with the regulator, and whether the land use is legally approved.
WHAT IS RERA?
RERA stands for the Real Estate Regulatory Authority Act, 2016. It requires promoters to register projects with the state regulator before advertising or selling. In Maharashtra, that regulator is MahaRERA. In Goa, it is Goa RERA.
For a buyer, a registered project gives you a public record of the promoter, the approvals, the timeline and any complaints.
WHEN IS REGISTRATION REQUIRED?
As a rule, a project must be registered if the land exceeds 500 square metres or the project has more than 8 apartments. This covers plotted developments as well as apartment projects.
This matters in Sindhudurg and Goa, where a lot of land is sold as plots or as individual farmland. A plot sold by an owner with no development work may not fall under RERA at all. If a promoter is laying out plots with internal roads and amenities, it generally should. In either case, ask the question directly: is this project registered, and what is the number?
WHAT TO CHECK ON THE RERA PAGE
✅ The registration number, which you should ask for before you pay anything
✅ The promoter’s name and track record
✅ Approvals and land title details uploaded with the registration
✅ The declared completion date and the progress updates
✅ Any complaints or orders against the project or promoter
WHAT IS NA, AND WHY IT MATTERS
NA means non-agricultural. Agricultural land cannot be freely used for houses, villas or commercial buildings. The land has to be approved for non-agricultural use first. A plot that is still classed as agricultural can face building, loan and resale problems later.
THE NA RULES IN SINDHUDURG (MAHARASHTRA) HAVE CHANGED
This is the most important update in this post. Under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Second Amendment) Act, 2025, notified on 31 December 2025, the system has been simplified:
✅ Where the planning authority permits development or approves building plans under the state planning law, a separate NA permission from the Collector is no longer required.
✅ The old recurring annual NA assessment has been replaced with a one-time premium linked to the land’s market value.
✅ The earlier sanad requirement has been removed in these cases.
What this means for you: older advice like “always get the NA order and sanad” is out of date for many Maharashtra plots. But the new system does not mean any land can be built on. It means the planning authority’s approval and the land’s zone in the development or regional plan now carry the weight. Rules for areas without a development plan are still being clarified, so confirm your plot’s position with a local lawyer.
THE NA POSITION IN GOA
Goa works differently. Land conversion is done through a Conversion Sanad issued under the Goa, Daman and Diu Land Revenue Code, 1968. It is separate from the zoning of the land in the Regional or Outline Development Plan. A plot needs the right zone and the conversion before it can be developed as a settlement. Goa’s Town and Country Planning (TCP) department also asks for the Conversion Sanad, or an application for recommendation for conversion, as part of its development permission applications.
Procedures and fees change, so confirm the current process for your plot with a Goa property lawyer. We will cover the sanad in detail in Part 4.
SINDHUDURG VS GOA: QUICK COMPARISON
📌 RERA authority: MahaRERA in Sindhudurg. Goa RERA in Goa.
📌 Land use approval: Sindhudurg now relies on planning authority approval, with no separate Collector NA permission or sanad in covered cases. Goa still uses a Conversion Sanad plus the correct zone.
📌 Annual charge: Sindhudurg replaced the annual NA assessment with a one-time premium. In Goa, confirm the fees for your case.
📌 What to ask the seller: In Sindhudurg, the planning approval and proof of premium payment. In Goa, the Conversion Sanad and zone certificate.
THE RERA AND NA PAPERWORK CHECKLIST
🗂️ RERA registration number. Search it on the official MahaRERA or Goa RERA portal and match the project name and promoter.
🗂️ Layout and development approval. For plotted projects, check the sanctioned layout and approved plot numbers.
🗂️ Land use approval. In Maharashtra, the planning authority permission and proof of the one-time premium where applicable. In Goa, the Conversion Sanad.
🗂️ Zone and development plan. Confirm the plot’s zone, which should allow your intended use.
🗂️ 7/12 or Form I and XIV. The land use entry should match the approvals.
🗂️ Previous orders. For older NA orders, check that conditions were met and records updated.
🗂️ Agreement for sale. It should carry the RERA number and match the approvals.
THREE RED FLAGS TO WALK AWAY FROM
🚩 “RERA applied for” or “registration in process”, with no number
🚩 A project selling plots with roads and amenities but no layout approval
🚩 Land use approvals with a survey number or area that does not match the 7/12
A note for NRI investors: even with all approvals in place, NRIs and OCIs cannot buy agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses. Confirm the classification and approvals before you pay a token amount.
WHY THIS CHECK PROTECTS YOUR RETURNS
A registered project with approved land use is easier to finance, build, insure and resell. An unregistered one leaves you with fewer protections if the timeline slips or the promoter defaults.
THE BOTTOM LINE
CRZ tells you whether you can build. The 7/12 tells you who owns the land. RERA and land use approval tell you whether the project and the land are legally in order. In Sindhudurg, the NA rules have just changed, so look for planning approvals and not only old NA orders.
Next in the series: sanad and land conversion. What still applies in Goa and what has changed in Maharashtra.
I am Samarth Khowal, a real estate consultant at Realty of India (REMAX India). I verify CRZ status, title and land-use documents on every coastal property before I recommend it to a client. If you are looking at land in Sindhudurg or Goa, message me and I will help you check the paperwork before you commit.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Coastal regulations and maps change, so confirm the current position with a qualified lawyer and the relevant coastal zone authority before buying.
Need hassle-free property paperwork? Message me before you buy.
📞 +919582627645 | ✉️ [email protected] | 🌐 realtyofindia.com
