Understanding Indian Land Records: Khasra, Khatauni, Jamabandi and the Rest
Every scheme payment, loan and land sale in India traces back to one document — the Record of Rights. It goes by a different name in every state. Here is what each record actually is, and where to check yours online.
Technical Kisan Editorial4 min read
Nobody reads their land record until they need it — and then they need it urgently: a bank wants it for a KCC loan, PM-KISAN has flagged a mismatch, or a buyer wants to know the chain of ownership is clean. The paperwork looks intimidating mostly because it goes by five different names depending on which state you are in. It is the same underlying system everywhere.
The one document that matters: the Record of Rights
Every plot of agricultural land in India has a Record of Rights (RoR) — the official government record of who owns it, how large it is, and what it is used for. Everything else (loan eligibility, scheme payments, the ability to sell) flows from this one document being accurate and up to date.
The RoR is not one national form. It is called something different in nearly every state:
| State(s) | What the RoR is called |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh | Khatauni (owner-wise) + Khasra (plot-wise) |
| Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan | Jamabandi |
| Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka | 7/12 Extract (Saat–Baara / RTC) |
| Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | Pahani / Adangal |
| Tamil Nadu | Patta / Chitta |
| West Bengal | RoR (Porcha) |
| Odisha | RoR |
Whatever it is called locally, it does the same two jobs: it names the current owner, and it describes the plot — area, boundaries, soil and irrigation type, and the crop last recorded.
Khasra vs Khatauni — the two halves of the UP-style system
In the Hindi-belt states this is the split that confuses people most, so it is worth being precise:
- Khasra is plot-wise. Every individually numbered survey plot (the khasra number) gets one entry — its area, its soil classification, its irrigation source, and the crop grown that season. It is re-verified at every harvest (girdawari).
- Khatauni is owner-wise. It lists, for one named person, every khasra plot they hold across the village — because most landholders own several scattered plots, not one contiguous field.
They are cross-referenced. Look up a khasra number and it tells you who owns it; look up a khatauni number and it tells you every plot that owner has.
Jamabandi, and why it moves slower than Khasra
Jamabandi — used in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan — is the equivalent of a Khatauni: the periodic, owner-wise settlement record. The key difference is cadence. A Khasra's crop entry is updated every season through girdawari; a Jamabandi has traditionally been revised on a longer cycle (historically every four to five years), though digitisation has made continuous updates far more common now.
Mutation: the step people forget
Buying land, inheriting it, or receiving it as a gift does not, by itself, change the Record of Rights. A separate step — mutation (dakhil-kharij) — has to be filed with the local revenue office (Tehsildar/Patwari or equivalent) to have the new owner's name entered into the Khatauni or Jamabandi.
Skip this step and the seller's name stays on record indefinitely, which blocks you from getting a KCC loan, applying for PM-KISAN, or selling the land yourself later. Most states now let you file a mutation application online through the state land-records portal, and it should be treated as a mandatory final step of any land transaction, not an optional formality.
Digitisation: DILRMP, Bhulekh, and SVAMITVA
Since the mid-2010s the central government's Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) has pushed every state to put its Khasra/Khatauni/Jamabandi records online, under portals generally branded Bhulekh ("land script"). Coverage and update frequency vary by state, but for the first time a record can usually be checked from a phone rather than a visit to the Patwari.
A separate, newer scheme — SVAMITVA — uses drone survey to map rural abadi (inhabited) land that never had a formal boundary record, and issues a Property Card to residents. It is a different problem from agricultural-plot records, but it is filling the same kind of gap: land that exists on the ground but not, until now, on paper.
Where to check your own record online
| State | Portal name |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | UP Bhulekh (upbhulekh.gov.in) |
| Bihar | Bihar Bhumi (bhumijankari.bihar.gov.in) |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP Bhulekh (mpbhulekh.gov.in) |
| Rajasthan | Apna Khata (apnakhata.rajasthan.gov.in) |
| Punjab / Haryana | Fard / Jamabandi portal (jamabandi.nic.in) |
| Maharashtra | Mahabhulekh (bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in) |
| Karnataka | Bhoomi (landrecords.karnataka.gov.in) |
| Tamil Nadu | Patta Chitta (eservices.tn.gov.in) |
| Andhra Pradesh / Telangana | Meebhoomi / Dharani |
Search a state's name plus "bhulekh" or "land records" to confirm the current official URL — some states have renamed or migrated portals in recent years.
The one sentence version
The Record of Rights, whatever your state calls it, is the single document every farm loan, scheme payment and land sale in India is built on — and after any purchase, gift or inheritance, mutation is the step that keeps it accurate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Khasra and Khatauni?
A Khasra is plot-wise — one entry per survey number, showing its area, soil type, irrigation source and the crop grown. A Khatauni is owner-wise — it lists every plot a particular person holds, across the whole village. The two are cross-indexed to each other.
Is Jamabandi the same as Khatauni?
Functionally yes — Jamabandi is the term used in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan for the same owner-wise record that Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh call a Khatauni. It is periodically revised (traditionally every 4–5 years) rather than updated continuously.
Why did my PM-KISAN or KCC application ask for land records?
Both schemes are tied to land ownership, not just identity. Your Aadhaar has to be "seeded" against your Khasra/Khatauni entry so the government system can confirm you are a landholding farmer before it releases a payment or sanctions a crop loan.
How do I get my name corrected in the land record?
Apply for correction (often called "record correction" or filed as a mutation request) at the Tehsildar or revenue officer's office with your identity proof and the document showing the correct name — an Aadhaar card, an old registered deed, or a court order. Most states now also accept this application online through the state Bhulekh portal.
Compiled by
Technical Kisan Editorial
Editorial Desk
Guides are compiled by the Technical Kisan editorial desk from ICAR and state agricultural university recommendations, and from central and state government scheme notifications. Every figure is labelled with the season it applies to. Always confirm against the official notification before acting on it.
- Compiled from ICAR and state agricultural university guidance
- Scheme details sourced from official notifications
- Figures labelled with the season they apply to
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