What is a Patta?

When land is bought, a Patta is registered by the government of India. A Patta is a legal document authorized by the government of Tamil Nadu. Patta is registered in the name of the landowner. A Patta is also referred to as the Record of Rights(ROR). 

An owner has to hold a Patta if he or she wants to buy land for any purpose. From building societies to shops to anything, a Patta ensures that the property was purchased according to the legal norms of the Tamil Nadu government. A Patta can be obtained from the tahsildar officer of the district. It consists of details such as Patta number, name of all the owners, survey number, tax details, area of land, and the address. 

A Chitta is also an official document used in transactions or land deals. It is obtained from a local taluka or village administration office. Chitta contains details such as ownership, area of the land. A Chitta classifies the property into two categories. The first is Punjai, which is dry land, and the other is Nanjai, which means a wetland. A Punjai is low on water resources, while Nanjai has an excess of water. 

Tamil Nadu government decided to merge Patta and Chitta into a single official document called Patta Chitta. A patta can be obtained from the Tahsildar’s office of the particular district. A patta consists of the following details:

• Name of the District, Taluk and Village
• Patta Number
• Name of the owner
• Survey number and subdivision
• Is it a Wetland or a Dry land (Nanjai Nilam and Punjai Nilam in Tamil)
• Area of the land and Tax details

What is a Chitta?

It is a land revenue document maintained by Village Administrative Officer (VAO) and the Taluk office. A chitta provides the relevant detail of the ownership, area, size, .etc of the land. Most importantly it classifies the land into nanjai (wetland) and punjai (dry land).
As of 2015, the government of Tamil Nadu does not issue a Chitta. The Patta and Chitta were merged into one document with all the relevant details mentioned in the Patta.

Applying for Patta Chitta Online

After the Patta and Chitta got merged into one, the Tamil Nadu government has now made the process of filing Patta Chitta online. You can follow these steps:

1. Log on to the Tamil Nadu Patta Chitta Website, the website is available in two languages – English & Tamil.
   
2. Select the Patta & FMB / Chitta / TSLR Extract and choose the district where your property is located. Add the details of the property for which you require a Patta Chitta. It will have details like Taluk, Village, Ward and Block, Survey Number and Sub Division Number.
3. Upon submission of the property details, a certificate from the Town Survey Land Register will be issued online with details of the property. The certificate will contain details such as the type of construction on the property, the municipal door number, locality, type of land, survey number etc.

Checking the status of your Patta Chitta

If you wish to check the status of your Patta Chitta you can do so here. As soon as you enter your Application ID the status of your Patta Chitta will be reflected.

Validity of your Patta certificate

The validity of the issued certificates can be checked online here. All you need to do is add your reference number.

Fees

A patta can be obtained online for a nominal fee of Rs.100.

How to transfer Patta Chitta?

You must apply for the transfer of Patta. The application needs to be submitted in the respective Tehsildar’s office. Do carry photocopies and original documents of the sale deed, tax receipts, electricity bill, encumbrance certificate when applying for transfer of Patta Chitta.

The application may be accepted or rejected on the basis of the study that the concerned department does.

Services on the mobile app

In 2018, chief minister EK Palaniswami launched the android application called Amma App. This mobile app allows users to access land records, Patta Chitta, from their phones besides a host of other services.