Khasra / Pahani / Jamabandi not issued? File one RTI

Ramesh applied for a Pahani extract for his agricultural land in Tumkur, Karnataka via Bhoomi portal in October. “Pending Patwari verification” for 4 months. He needed it for a Kisan Credit Card application. Bank refused without the RTC.

He filed an RTI to the Tehsildar Tumkur PIO. Twelve days later the Tehsildar's office wrote back: the Patwari was on long leave, file had been re-allocated to a new Patwari. Reply included new Patwari's name and date the file would be processed. Pahani issued five days later.

Land records are administered by State Revenue Departments under the relevant State Land Revenue Code, with Tehsildars at taluk level, Patwaris / Lekhpals / Karnam / Kanungo / Talati at field level, and state RoR portals for digital extracts.

1. 30-day clock under §7(1).
2. §20(1) personal liability.
3. File traceability — surfaces transferred Patwari, missing previous-mutation entry, or fee-not-reflected.

Most stuck-RoR RTIs get a substantive reply within 15-25 days.

• §6(1) RTI Act.
• §7(1) — 30 days.
• §4(1)(b)(xii) — RoR is suo motu publishable.
• State Land Revenue Codes (UP Revenue Code 2006, Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964, AP RoR Act 1971, Punjab Land Revenue Act 1887 etc.) — set RoR issuance timeline (typically 15-30 days).

To,
The Public Information Officer (PIO),
Office of the Tehsildar / Mandal Revenue Officer / Naib Tehsildar,
[Taluk / Mandal, District, State]

Subject: §6(1) RTI Act 2005 — status of my land record extract application

Sir/Madam,

   Applicant name : [Full name]
   Father's name  : [As on Aadhaar]
   Property       : [Survey/Khasra/Khata No., Village, Taluk]
   Application no.: [from state RoR portal e.g. Bhoomi/Bhulekh/Meebhoomi]
   Application date: DD-MM-YYYY
   Extract type   : [Khasra / Pahani / RTC / 7-12 / Jamabandi / Khatian /
                    1B / Adangal / RoR-IB]
   Period         : [Current / for FY YYYY-YY]
   Fee paid       : ₹___ (challan no.)

Please provide:

   1. Current status and exact stage of my application.
   2. Name + designation of the Patwari / Lekhpal / Karnam /
      Talati / Kanungo currently holding my file.
   3. Date(s) of file movement: portal received → Patwari verification →
      Tehsildar approval → portal release.
   4. Reason for delay beyond the [State Land Revenue Code] timeline
      of [15/30] days.
   5. Expected date of extract issue.
   6. Copy of any noting / objection / mutation-pending flag on
      my file.
   7. If digital signature pending, the date of pending and dealing
      Tehsildar's name.

I am a citizen of India.

Fee: ₹10 IPO/DD enclosed.

Yours faithfully,
[Name + address + signature + date]

1. Find your application reference on your state RoR portal.
2. Find Tehsildar postal address at the same site.
3. File via state RTI portal OR Speed Post (RoR is state — central rtionline.gov.in does NOT cover this).
4. ₹10 fee.
5. Diary 30-day deadline.
6. First Appeal → SDM (FAA); Second Appeal → SIC.

Ask for new Patwari name + date of allocation.

File parallel mutation RTI. See Property mutation RTI guide.

Ask for the technical reason + corrective field-data update procedure.

File parallel RTI to Tehsildar for family-tree certificate.

Ask for manual register search — most states still have hard-copy registers for pre-2005 records.

• Suraj Bhan v. UoI (P&H HC 2019) — RoR is public record under §4(1)(b)(xii); no §8(1)(j) bar on owner's records.
• CIC, Bhulekh v. UP Revenue (2018) — Tehsildar directed to disclose pendency reports; “Patwari vacancy” not §8 ground.
• Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC, (2013) 1 SCC 212 — Other landowners' personal info §8(1)(j); your own ownership not.
• State Information Commission (Karnataka, 2023) — Tehsildar fined ₹15,000 for non-issue of RTC despite RTI.

• No survey/khasra number → office cannot trace.
• Asking for neighbour's land details (denied under §8(1)(j)).
• Filing on rtionline.gov.in.
• Skipping the Patwari name / transfer question.

• Always include survey number + village + Taluk — multiple identifiers.
• Quote your state Land Revenue Code timeline explicitly.
• Ask for Patwari's name + monthly RoR disposal record.
• For inheritance cases, attach succession proof + family tree.

15-25 days typically.

Public record of land ownership is suo motu disclosable. But personal / contact details of the owner are §8(1)(j).

Manual register search procedure. Same RTI route, longer timeline.

File mutation / correction application separately. RTI to track.

Use your state's portal: Karnataka=Bhoomi, UP/MP/Bihar=Bhulekh, AP=Meebhoomi, Telangana=Bhu Bharathi (RoR-IB).

RoR is the foundational land document. Without it, no loan, no sale, no inheritance settlement. RTI is the cheapest unblock. ₹10.

File the RTI.

• Property mutation RTI
• EC RTI
• First Appeal

1. RTI Act 2005 — §6(1), §7(1), §8(1)(j), §19, §20.
2. State Land Revenue Codes (UP, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, MP, Maharashtra etc.).
3. Suraj Bhan v. UoI (P&H HC 2019).
4. CIC Bhulekh v. UP Revenue (2018); Karnataka SIC (2023).
5. State RoR portals.

Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.