Municipal Inclusion Doesn't End Agricultural Status, Rules Himachal Pradesh High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that land does not lose its agricultural status solely because it has been included within municipal limits.

The Court held that if actual farming activities continue on the land, the owner retains their legal status and the benefits associated with being an agriculturist.

Justice Vivek Singh Thakur observed that administrative reclassification for urban governance does not override the physical utilization of the land.

The judgment establishes that the character of the land must be determined by its current use rather than its administrative designation.

[Ravi Chand v. State of H.P. & Ors.]