Tamil Nadu land records glossary: Patta, Chitta, FMB, A-Register & more

Tamil Nadu land records come with their own vocabulary — much of it in Tamil. Knowing the exact words helps you search the official portals and talk to the right official. Here's a plain-English glossary, with the Tamil term in brackets.

Core document terms

Patta (பட்டா)

The legal document issued by the government proving who owns a specific piece of land — effectively an ownership certificate.

Chitta (சிட்டா)

A ledger maintained by the VAO showing the land's classification (wet or dry) and its tax details. Today Patta and Chitta are combined into a single online document, Patta-Chitta.

A-Register (அ-பதிவேடு)

The master land register kept at the Taluk office. It holds public information about every survey number — original size, soil classification, tax assessment and irrigation source.

Adangal (அடங்கல்)

A register tracking what is currently happening on the land — the crop being grown, who is cultivating it, and tenancy details. Updated yearly.

FMB / Field Measurement Book (புல வரைபடம்)

A sketch book with the exact boundary measurements, scale map and dimensions of a specific survey number.

Administrative roles

VAO / Village Administrative Officer (கிராம நிர்வாக அலுவலர்)

The local official in charge of maintaining land and revenue records for a village — your first point of contact for offline verification.

Tahsildar (வட்டாட்சியர்)

The head administrative officer of a Taluk (sub-district), with authority to approve Patta transfers and issue legal land documents.

Firka Surveyor (பிர்கா சர்வேயர்)

A government-appointed surveyor responsible for a cluster of villages (a Firka). They physically visit properties to measure boundaries and resolve disputes.

Land classifications

Nanjai (நஞ்சை)

Wet / agricultural land with a perennial water source such as a river, canal or lake. Usually harder to convert for residential use.

Punjai (புஞ்சை)

Dry land that relies on rainfall or groundwater (wells / borewells) for irrigation.

Natham / Grama Natham (கிராம நத்தம்)

Land traditionally set aside by the government purely for residential housing settlements in a village.

Poramboke (புறம்போக்கு)

Government-owned public land that cannot be bought, sold or privately owned — such as roads, lakesides and grazing grounds.

Technical survey terms

Survey Number (புல எண்)

A unique identification number assigned to a specific, large tract of land in a village.

Subdivision Number (உட்பிரிவு எண்)

When a large survey number is split among buyers or heirs it is subdivided — e.g. Survey No. 45 becomes 45/1, 45/2, 45/3A.

TSLR / Town Survey Land Record (நகர நில அளவை பதிவேடு)

The urban equivalent of a Patta-Chitta, used for properties inside municipal towns and cities instead of rural villages.