In Tamil Nadu a patta is issued by the revenue department in the name of the landholder and lists the survey and sub-division numbers, extent and classification. The chitta is a village account extract that shows the same land by holder, its area and whether it is wet (nanjai) or dry (punjai) land. The two have been merged into a single online extract for most villages.
For plots and independent houses in and around Chennai, Coimbatore or Madurai, the patta in the seller’s name is a basic check. After a sale the buyer applies for a patta transfer, Tamil Nadu’s form of mutation. The FMB (field measurement book) sketch and the adangal (crop register) are read alongside.
Flats are different: an apartment buyer owns an undivided share of land, and a patta for the whole site usually stays in the promoter’s or association’s name unless a joint patta is issued.
Example
A buyer in Tambaram agrees to buy a 2 ground plot for ₹1.1 crore. The broker downloads the patta and chitta extract from the Tamil Nadu e-services portal and checks that the survey number and sub-division on the extract match the draft sale deed and the encumbrance certificate. After registration the buyer applies for a patta transfer online.
Figures are illustrative, not market rates.
Questions about Patta and chitta
Is a patta needed for a flat in Chennai?
A flat buyer owns an undivided share of the land, so an individual patta is not always issued. Buyers check the patta for the whole site and the encumbrance certificate, and some apply for a joint patta that names each owner’s share.
How do I transfer a patta after buying land?
Apply for patta transfer through the Tamil Nadu e-services portal or the taluk office with the registered sale deed and identity documents. The revenue officials verify the records and update the patta in the buyer’s name.
Sources
- Tamil Nadu e-Services (patta, chitta, FMB) · accessed
- Registration Department, Tamil Nadu (TNREGINET) · accessed
Reviewed