How to read a land record in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu
What the 7/12 extract and the record of rights tell you, why the format differs between districts, what a mutation is, and why tribal land restrictions matter before a purchase.
The record of rights is the document a buyer, a bank or an advocate asks for first in this union territory, and the first surprise is that it does not look the same everywhere. Dadra and Nagar Haveli issues the 7/12 extract. Daman and Diu were administered together with Goa until 1987, and their record can follow a different format. Each district's Mamlatdar's office keeps its own.
What the record tells you
- Village, survey number and subdivision
- Which parcel the record is for. Copy these exactly into every map request.
- Area
- The extent of the parcel as the record gives it. Compare it with the deed and the map, and check the units before assuming a mismatch.
- Holder
- Who the revenue record shows as holding the land. A seller who is not the recorded holder needs an explanation.
- Other rights and entries
- Tenants, charges and other entries recorded against the land. Read them before anything else is agreed.
Mutation: why the record can lag the deed
A registered sale does not change the record by itself. The change of holder is entered as a mutation at the Mamlatdar's office, and until it is certified the record still names the previous holder. Check whether a mutation is pending before relying on an extract for a purchase.
Tribal land and government land
In Dadra and Nagar Haveli, transfers of land held by members of Scheduled Tribes are restricted, and much of the district's land has been held by tribal families. Land recorded in the government's name is not a private holding either. Either of these on a record is the first thing to take to an advocate.
From the record to one map
The record describes one survey number at a time and draws nothing. Once you know every survey number and subdivision the holding covers, get the village map sheets they fall on and join them along their shared boundaries. The result shows the holding as one shape, which is what a buyer, a bank or an approving authority usually wants to see beside the record.
🔗 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu land and survey glossary →Frequently asked questions
Is the 7/12 extract proof of ownership?+
It is the revenue record of who holds the land, which is why buyers and banks ask for it, but title comes from the registered deeds and the chain behind them. Read it alongside the deeds.
Why does my Daman record look different from a Silvassa 7/12?+
Because the districts keep their own records, and Daman and Diu were administered with Goa until 1987. Ask the Mamlatdar's office in Daman or Diu which form applies to your village.
Why does the record still show the old owner after a sale?+
Because the mutation that records the change of holder has not been certified yet. Until it is, the record names the previous holder whatever the registered deed says.