HomeCirculars › RBI/2008-09/303

RRB Housing Loans: Delhi HC Order on Farmhouses Clarified

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/303 · issued 02 Dec 2008 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI clarifies that Delhi High Court directions on housing loans do not apply to farmhouses on agricultural land outside Grampanchayat/Municipal limits. Local rules govern such loans. RRBs must update policies accordingly.

What changed

RBI, based on advice from the Delhi High Court Monitoring Committee, clarified that the earlier circular's directions on housing loans do not apply to farmhouses constructed on agricultural land outside Grampanchayat and Municipal Council limits. In such cases, local rules will prevail instead of the court-ordered norms.

What it means for you

For RRBs, this means you do not need to apply the Delhi High Court's housing loan conditions (like plan sanctions or completion certificates) to farmhouses on agricultural land in rural areas. You must follow local regulations for these loans, reducing compliance burden. However, ensure your loan policies clearly distinguish between urban/rural housing and farmhouse loans to avoid misapplication.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), RRB loan officers handling housing and farmhouse loans, RRB compliance and policy teams

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Does this circular apply to all housing loans by RRBs?

No, it only clarifies that the Delhi High Court directions do not apply to farmhouses on agricultural land outside Grampanchayat/Municipal limits. For other housing loans, the earlier circular remains in effect.

What should we do if a borrower seeks a loan for a farmhouse on agricultural land?

You should follow local rules and regulations, not the Delhi High Court order. Ensure you verify the land's location and authority jurisdiction before sanctioning.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2018: RPCD.CO.RRB.BC.No.71/03.05.33/2008-09 — "Housing Loans - Orders of the Delhi High Court - Writ Petition by Kalyan Sanstha Welfare Organisation against Union o”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2008-09/303 RPCD.CO.RRB.BC.No.71 /03.05.33/2008-09 December 2, 2008 All Regional Rural Banks Dear Sir, Housing Loans – Orders of the Delhi High Court - Writ Petition by Kalyan Sanstha Welfare Organisation against Union of India and Others- Implementation of Directions Please refer to our circular  RPCD.CO.No.RRB.BC.36/03.05.33/2006-07 dated November 22, 2006  on the captioned subject. 2. On receipt of queries from certain quarters, a reference was made to the Monitoring Committee, constituted by the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi for the purpose, seeking advice as to whether its directions as contained in the circular, referred to above, should be applicable to construction of houses in both urban and rural areas and to all types of houses including farmhouses on agricultural land. 3. It has been clarified by the Monitoring Committee that since the agricultural land is outside the limit of the Grampanchayats and Municipal Councils and as these authorities neither sanction plans nor issue completion certificates for farmhouses constructed by the farmers on the agricultural land, its directions will not apply to such situations. In all such cases, local rules will apply. The banks are advised to take action accordingly. 4. The contents of this circular may be placed before the Board of your bank. 5. Please acknowledge receipt to our Regional Office concerned Yours faithfully, (C.K.Shah) Deputy General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/303 · issued 02 Dec 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4677&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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