Glossary

Tamil Nadu land & survey glossary

Plain-language meanings for the words on your patta, FMB sketch and village map — search in English or Tamil.

22 terms

A-RegisterA-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.
Adangalஅடங்கல்: A register tracking what is currently happening on the land — the crop grown, who is cultivating it, and tenancy details. Updated yearly.
Chittaசிட்டா: A ledger maintained by the VAO showing the land's classification (wet or dry) and tax details. Today Patta and Chitta are combined into a single online Patta-Chitta document.
Correlation Statementகோரிலேஷன் ஸ்டேட்மென்ட்: An official statement that maps old survey numbers (OS) to the new resurvey numbers (RS) for a village — essential when an old deed's number doesn't match your current patta.
F-lineFF-கோடு: F-line stands for Field line — the boundary of a single field or survey number inside the village. A sheet has many F-lines, one around each parcel, unlike the single outer G-line.
Field Measurement BookFMBபுல அளவீட்டுப் புத்தகம்: A sketch book holding the exact boundary measurements, scale map and dimensions of a specific survey number. The G-line, F-line and measurement ladder all appear on the FMB sketch.
Firka Surveyorபிர்கா சர்வேயர்: A government-appointed surveyor responsible for a cluster of villages (a Firka). They physically visit properties to measure boundaries and resolve disputes.
G-lineGG-கோடு: G-line stands for Gramam (village) line — the revenue village boundary. It is the outermost line on an FMB sketch or village map, enclosing everything that belongs to that village.
Licensed Surveyorஉரிமம் பெற்ற சர்வேயர்: A trained private surveyor licensed by the state to carry out land measurement, offering a faster alternative to the government surveyor for sales, subdivisions and disputes.
Measurement ladderஅளவீட்டு ஏணி: The table of distances running down the side of an FMB sketch, listing the length of each boundary so the plot's exact shape can be re-plotted on the ground.
Nanjaiநஞ்சை: Wet / agricultural land with a perennial water source such as a river, canal or lake. Usually harder to convert for residential use.
Natham / Grama Nathamநத்தம் / கிராம நத்தம்: Land traditionally set aside by the government purely for residential housing settlements in a village. Often surveyed separately, so it isn't always in the regular online flow.
Old (OS) & Resurvey (RS) numberபழைய (OS) & மறுசர்வே (RS) எண்: During a resurvey, old survey numbers (OS) are replaced by new resurvey numbers (RS). One old field may split into several new ones — use the Correlation Statement to match them.
Pattaபட்டா: The legal document issued by the government proving who owns a specific piece of land — effectively an ownership certificate.
Porambokeபுறம்போக்கு: Government-owned public land that cannot be bought, sold or privately owned — such as roads, lakesides and grazing grounds.
Punjaiபுஞ்சை: Dry land that relies on rainfall or groundwater (wells / borewells) for irrigation.
Sheet number (S1, S2 …)தாள் எண் (S1, S2 …): A village rarely fits on one page, so the survey department splits it into adjacent numbered sheets (S1, S2, S3 …). The sheets meet exactly along shared boundaries and can be joined back into one continuous map.
Subdivision Numberஉட்பிரிவு 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.
Survey Numberபுல எண்: A unique identification number assigned to a specific, large tract of land in a village.
Tahsildarவட்டாட்சியர்: The head administrative officer of a Taluk (sub-district), with authority to approve Patta transfers and issue legal land documents.
Town Survey Land RecordTSLRநகர நில அளவை பதிவேடு: The urban equivalent of a Patta-Chitta, used for properties inside municipal towns and cities instead of rural villages.
Village Administrative OfficerVAOகிராம நிர்வாக அலுவலர்: The local official in charge of maintaining land and revenue records for a village — your first point of contact for offline verification.

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