Which are the documents that are required for scrutinity for properties with an agricultural past?

i.    Pahani or RTC

The Pahani is a revenue record of tenancy and cultivation (RTC) that describes the rights, tenancy and crops details for the property, such as owners’ details, area of the land, land revenue details, water rate, soil type, nature of possession of the land, liabilities, crops grown etc. Ideally, the seller should have the RTCs from 1969 to date, and all the mutations should be mentioned in the RTCs.

ii.    Record of rights and index of lands

This document contains details such as the extent of the property, names of the owners etc. Although this document has been discontinued by the Revenue department, it is useful in the tracing of titles. There are reports that it is being unofficially issued, however.

iii.    Mutation extract

The Mutation Extract is akin to an ‘agricultural khata’ and is issued by the village’s official accountant or Tehsildar. It contains an extract from the mutation register with relevant details, such as those regarding the previous owner, present owner, the mode of acquisition of the property by way of sale or inheritance, and the total extent of the property.

 iv.    Tippani and Podi extract

Tippani is a hand-drawn sketch from the records of the Survey department with respect to a property contained in a single survey number that is not bifurcated into sub-survey numbers issued by the Survey department. For instance, Hissa Podi extract refers to a sketch showing fragments within a survey number with sub-survey numbers such as 159/1, 159/2 etc.

v.    Akarband extract

The Akarband indicates the total extent, boundaries and classifications of the property. This is issued by the Survey department.

vi.    Village map

This document shows a clear map of the village in which the property is situated.