Survey Numbers: A Simple Way to Check the Project Matches Its RERA Registration

Names change, land does not

A project can be renamed, rebranded or marketed in phases. The land under it is identified in government records by survey numbers. That is why a RERA registration is tied to survey numbers, and why they are your best tool for checking.

Step one: find the numbers

Open the project on the state RERA website. The land details section usually lists survey numbers and the village. Write them down. Then look at the plan sanction and the title documents. The same numbers should appear.

Step two: check the revenue record

In Karnataka, the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops) for a survey number can be viewed through Bhoomi. In Tamil Nadu, patta and chitta records are online through the revenue department. Check the village name, the survey number and the area. Note whether the land is shown as converted for non-agricultural use where required.

Step three: find it on the ground

Use a village map or the survey sketch to see roughly where the numbers lie. Then stand at the site. Is the project where the records say? This takes some patience, but it is the step that catches the biggest problems.

When only part is registered

Large projects are often registered phase by phase. If the RERA page lists some survey numbers and the site covers more, ask which phase includes your flat and whether that phase is registered. Section 3(1) of RERA bars selling an unregistered project or phase.

Extra or missing numbers

An extra survey number in the brochure but not on RERA, or one on RERA but not in your agreement, needs an explanation. There are two ordinary reasons to rule out before worrying: land renumbered after a sub-division, and a typing slip. Ask for the record that explains it.

The check in three lines

1. Same survey numbers on RERA, plan sanction and title papers.
2. The revenue record confirms village, number and area.
3. The site sits where the records say.

Why this check matters for a first home

Most first-time buyers check the price, the plan and the EMI. Few check the land. Yet the land is what your flat legally sits on. If the survey numbers on paper do not match the land on the ground, problems can show up years later: when you apply for a khata, sell the flat or the association tries to take over common areas. Fixing a mismatch before you pay is far easier than after.

A worked example (illustrative)

Say a brochure lists a project on survey numbers 45/1, 45/2 and 46. You open the RERA page and see only 45/1 and 45/2. The plan sanction lists all three. What should you do?

1. Ask the builder in writing whether 46 is a later phase, open space or something else.
2. Ask which survey number your tower stands on, and see it marked on the site plan.
3. Check that your agreement for sale names the same survey numbers as the RERA page for your phase.
4. Look up 46 in the land records to see whose name it is in and whether it is converted.

If the answer is "46 is phase 2", that may be perfectly normal. What matters is that your flat sits on land covered by the registration you are buying under.

Reading survey numbers correctly

Survey numbers often have sub-divisions, written with a slash or a letter, such as 45/1 or 45/1A. Treat these as separate parcels. 45/1 is not the same land as 45/1A. Also note:

• Hissa numbers are sub-divisions within a survey number. They must match too.
• Area units: Karnataka land records often show acres and guntas. One acre is 40 guntas, and one gunta is 1,089 sq ft. So 0.75 acres is 30 guntas, or about 32,670 sq ft.
• The village name must match exactly. Neighbouring villages can use the same survey numbers for completely different land.

What to collect in one folder

• Screenshot of the RERA page showing land details, with the date.
• The plan sanction or approval letter.
• The RTC for each survey number.
• The conversion order for land that was farmland.
• The draft agreement for sale, with its schedule of property.

Put the survey numbers from each document into one simple table. Columns: survey number, village, area, and which documents list it. Any empty cell is a question to ask.

Common mistakes

• Checking only the project name. Names can change. Survey numbers are what the records use.
• Ignoring sub-divisions. Writing 45 instead of 45/2 can lead you to the wrong record.
• Trusting a printout. Check the record online yourself, from the official site.
• Skipping the agreement schedule. The "schedule" at the end of the agreement describes the land. It should match the RERA page.
• Not asking about conversion. Farmland usually needs lawful conversion before it can be built on. Ask for the order.

When to bring in a lawyer

You can do the matching above yourself in an evening. A property lawyer adds value on the deeper questions: tracing ownership back over many years, reading the conversion and sanction orders, and checking for court cases. For most first-time buyers, paying for one title opinion before signing is money well spent.

Ask for answers in writing

Phone answers are easy to forget and hard to prove. Send your questions by email and keep the reply. If something you were told turns out to be wrong, section 12 of RERA lets an allottee claim compensation for loss caused by incorrect information in an advertisement or prospectus, and a written record makes that much easier.

A simple table you can fill in tonight

Survey number	RERA page	Plan sanction	Title deed	RTC
Example 45/1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Example 46	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

In this illustrative table, 45/1 is fine. 46 appears everywhere except the RERA page, so it is the one question to ask: is it a later phase, open space handed over to the authority, or something else? Write the builder's answer in the table too.

Step by step: your evening check

1. Note the survey numbers and village from the RERA page.
2. Note the same from the plan sanction and the draft agreement schedule.
3. Look up each number on the state land records site and save the record.
4. Compare village, number, sub-division and area across all documents.
5. List every mismatch and email it to the builder in one message.
6. Keep the reply with your other papers, and share the folder with your lawyer.

This is slow the first time and quick after that. Most of the time everything matches, and the check simply lets you sign with confidence.

Red flags that need a clear answer

• The RTC shows a different owner from the seller, with no deed linking them.
• The land is still shown as agricultural and no conversion order is offered.
• The area on the RTC is smaller than the area the project claims to use.
• The village on the RERA page differs from the village on the title deed.
• Survey numbers in your agreement schedule differ from the RERA page for your phase.

None of these means the project is bad. Each one means you should not pay more until it has been explained in writing and your lawyer is satisfied.

For The Shalott Marque, the land details sit with registration PRM/KA/RERA/1251/308/PR/180826/008871. You can find the registration and contact details on the project page.