How to read an Assam Jamabandi and Chitha
The two registers behind an Assam holding, what each is for, and the entries worth checking before a purchase.
Two registers describe an Assam holding, and they answer different questions. The Chitha is the field register: each Dag, its area, its classification and who is occupying it. The Jamabandi is the record of rights: the holders, the Dags under them, and the revenue assessed. A holding is verified against both, and a discrepancy between them is itself a finding.
What to check
- The patta type against the holding. Whether it is periodic or annual changes what can be done with the land, and it is recorded, not inferred.
- That the holder on the Jamabandi is the person dealing with you. Where a transfer has not been mutated, the register still names the earlier holder.
- That the Dag numbers you have been given exist and carry the area claimed. A holding described loosely has to resolve to real Dags before it can be mapped or registered.
- The classification. It governs what the land may lawfully be used for, and it does not change because a buyer intends something else.
Who does what
- Lat Mandal
- The village-level revenue official who maintains the Chitha and reports what is happening on the ground.
- Mouzadar
- Responsible for revenue collection and records within a Mouza, where the office exists.
- Circle Officer
- In charge of a Revenue Circle. Mutations, certified copies and most record corrections are decided here.
Neither register draws a line
Both name Dags and give areas. The boundaries are on the Mouza map, and a Mouza is issued as several adjacent sheets, so a holding of any size, or one near a Mouza edge, is spread across more than one of them.
Joining those sheets along their shared boundaries gives you the holding as one continuous map: the view the registers describe in words and never show.
🔗 Assam land & survey glossary →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Chitha and Jamabandi?+
The Chitha is the field register: each Dag with its area, classification and occupant. The Jamabandi is the record of rights: the holders, their Dags and the revenue assessed. A holding is checked against both.
Who handles mutation in Assam?+
The Circle Office. The Lat Mandal maintains the village-level field register and reports changes; the Circle Officer decides mutations and issues certified copies.
Does the Jamabandi show boundaries?+
No. It names Dag numbers and gives areas. Boundaries are on the Mouza map, which is issued across several sheets for a Mouza of any size.