Tamil Nadu land records glossary: Patta, Chitta, FMB, A-Register & more
A plain-English (and Tamil) glossary of the land-record terms you'll meet on the official portals — Patta, Chitta, A-Register, Adangal, FMB, Nanjai, Punjai, Natham, Poramboke, TSLR and the officials behind them.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Patta and Chitta?+
The Patta is the legal document issued by the government proving who owns a specific piece of land — effectively an ownership certificate. The Chitta is 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.
What does FMB mean in Tamil Nadu land records?+
FMB stands for Field Measurement Book (புல வரைபடம்) — a sketch book with the exact boundary measurements, scale map and dimensions of a specific survey number.
What is the difference between Nanjai, Punjai and Natham land?+
Nanjai is wet or agricultural land with a perennial water source such as a river, canal or lake, while Punjai is dry land that relies on rainfall or groundwater (wells or borewells) for irrigation. Natham (or Grama Natham) is land traditionally set aside by the government purely for residential housing settlements in a village.
What does a subdivision number like 45/1 mean?+
A survey number is a unique identification number assigned to a specific, large tract of land in a village. When a large survey number is split among buyers or heirs it is subdivided — for example Survey No. 45 becomes 45/1, 45/2, 45/3A.