Patta and Chitta Explained: Tamil Nadu Land Records for First-Time Buyers

Many Bengaluru buyers look across the state border at some point. Hosur and the towns near it are close to the south-eastern edge of the city, and plots there can look tempting for a first property. The moment you start, someone will ask: "Is the patta clear?" If you grew up with Karnataka's khata, the word may be new. Here is what a patta is, what it is not, and how to check it step by step.

The short answer

A patta is Tamil Nadu's revenue record of who holds a piece of land. It names the holder, the survey number and sub-division, the area (called the extent) and the type of land. It is issued by the revenue department.

Not a title deed

Patta is good evidence of who holds the land in the government's revenue books. But the legal proof of ownership is the registered sale deed and the chain of earlier deeds behind it. Under section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, a sale of land worth one hundred rupees or more can be made only by a registered document. So a careful buyer checks three things together: the deed chain for title, the patta for the revenue record, and an encumbrance certificate for any registered loans or other dealings.

The records patta travels with

• Chitta: lists the land held by a person in the village.
• Adangal: the village account, with details such as cultivation and land use.
• A-register: the village's base register of land.
• FMB sketch: the Field Measurement Book drawing of the survey field's boundaries and measurements.

The patta pass book system rests on the Tamil Nadu Patta Pass Book Act, 1983.

Who issues it

The revenue department issues patta. The village administrative officer (VAO) maintains village records, and the taluk office handles transfers and sub-divisions. Many records can now be viewed online through the state's e-services portal, using the district, taluk, village and survey number.

Reading a patta, line by line

• Holder's name: should match the seller, or the chain should explain why not.
• District, taluk and village: should match the sale deed.
• Survey number and sub-division: the key to every other record.
• Extent: the area, often in hectares and ares.
• Classification: whether the land is wet (nanjai) or dry (punjai), among other types.

A worked example: converting the extent (illustrative)

Say a patta shows an extent of 0.0121 hectare for a plot.

• One hectare is 10,000 square metres, so 0.0121 hectare is 121 sq m.
• One square metre is about 10.764 sq ft, so 121 sq m is about 1,302 sq ft.
• One cent is 435.6 sq ft, so 1,302 sq ft is about 2.99 cents.

Now say the seller's listing says "3.5 cents, 1,525 sq ft". The record shows about 223 sq ft less. At a made-up rate of ₹2,000 per sq ft, that gap is 223 × ₹2,000 = ₹4.46 lakh. The rate is only there to show the arithmetic. Price what the record shows, and ask for a document that explains any difference.

Plots in a layout

When a field is divided into plots, each plot needs its own sub-division in the revenue records and, in time, its own patta. Ask whether the layout has been sub-divided, whether a separate patta exists for your plot, and whether the layout itself is approved by the planning authority. A plot in an unapproved layout can face problems with building permission and bank loans.

Step by step: checking a plot before you pay

1. Get the survey number and sub-division from the seller.
2. View the patta and chitta online and check the holder's name and extent.
3. Get the FMB sketch and compare its shape with the plot on the ground.
4. Collect the deed chain, ideally going back many years, and have a lawyer read it.
5. Get an encumbrance certificate from the registration department for the same period.
6. Check the layout approval if the plot is part of a layout.
7. Measure on site against the FMB sketch, with a licensed surveyor if possible.

After you buy

1. Register the sale deed at the sub-registrar's office.
2. Apply for patta transfer to your name through the revenue department.
3. Check that the updated patta shows your name, the right sub-division and the right extent.
4. Keep the new patta with your deed. You will need both for a loan, a building permit or a future sale.

The khata trap

Buyers from Bengaluru sometimes expect patta to work like khata. It does not. Khata is a property tax record kept by a local body. Patta is a revenue land record. They do different jobs, so ask for the documents that belong to Tamil Nadu's system rather than looking for a khata.

Common mistakes first-time buyers make

• Treating patta as title. It is a revenue record. Title comes from the deed chain.
• Accepting a parent-plot patta. If the patta covers the whole field, ask how your plot is separated.
• Misreading units. Hectares, ares, cents and sq ft are easy to mix up.
• Skipping the FMB sketch. Without it you cannot be sure which part of the field you are buying.
• Forgetting the transfer. If you never apply, the patta keeps showing the old holder.

Buying across the border: a few practical points

• Your lawyer should know Tamil Nadu records. A lawyer who mainly handles Bengaluru work may not read patta, chitta and FMB records as easily.
• Stamp duty follows the property's state. A plot in Tamil Nadu is registered at a Tamil Nadu sub-registrar's office, under that state's stamp law and rates.
• Your bank may treat it differently. Ask early whether your lender funds plots in that area, and on what terms. Many banks lend more readily for a flat than for a bare plot.
• Building needs its own approval. Owning the plot does not mean you can build as you like. Building permission comes from the local body or planning authority for that area.

Plot or flat for a first home?

A plot gives you land and freedom to build later, but no home today, and the cost of building comes on top. A flat gives you a home to live in, a share of the land underneath, and shared upkeep. Neither is better in general. Decide on how soon you need to live there, what your loan will cover and how much paperwork you are ready to take on.

What to ask a seller

1. The patta and chitta for the plot.
2. The FMB sketch.
3. The full chain of sale deeds.
4. A recent encumbrance certificate.
5. The layout approval, if the plot is in a layout.

Comparing a Tamil Nadu plot with a Bengaluru flat? Our Sarjapur–Attibele Road guide covers the Karnataka side of the corridor.