The Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops — RTC, Pahani or Utara — is a 16-column register printed for one survey number and hissa. Buyers read the survey number, the extent and the name in column 9, and stop. The columns they skip carry the land's classification, the kharab that is not theirs to use, whether the holding is a grant that cannot be sold, the mortgages the Revenue Department knows about, and the crops that reveal who is actually cultivating.
Below is each column in the order it appears on the Bhoomi print, what the entry means, and the specific values that should make you stop and ask before paying an advance. Read it with a real RTC beside you; a specimen is on the RTC document page.
Header: what the RTC is for
The top of the print names the district, taluk, hobli and village, then the survey number with its surnoc and hissa, and the year or period the record is generated for. Confirm all of these against the sale agreement first: the commonest error in our retrieval queue is a correct survey number in the wrong village, which produces a perfectly genuine RTC for somebody else's land.
Columns 1–5: the land itself
| Column | Entry | What it means | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Survey number / hissa | The parcel this record describes | Matches the deed; hissa is the one being sold |
| 2 | Kharab (A / B) | Unassessed land inside the survey: A = cultivable waste, B = roads, nalas, tanks, burial grounds | B-kharab is government land — it is inside your extent but never yours |
| 3 | Total extent | Acres and guntas (or hectares) of the whole hissa | Compare with the Akarband; a mismatch means a survey issue |
| 4 | Assessment | Land revenue fixed on the parcel | Trivial amount; unpaid arrears show elsewhere |
| 5 | Soil / land type | Dry (khushki), wet (tari), garden (bagayat) | Wet land has stricter conversion rules |
Columns 6–8: tenure and restrictions
| Column | Entry | What it means | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Tenure / nature of land | Whether the land is held free or under a condition | Words like "Inam", "grant", "PTCL", "restricted" change everything |
| 7 | Mutation (MR) number | The last mutation that touched this record | Pull that MR extract; it is the basis of the current holder |
| 8 | Remarks / other rights | Government notes: acquisition notices, court attachments, tenancy claims | Any entry here needs a lawyer's reading |
Column 9: the holder
Column 9 lists the person(s) the Revenue Department records as holding the land, each with the extent held. Two or more names mean co-holders; every one of them must sign the sale. A name with "(minor)" or a guardian entry means court permission is needed to sell. A deceased holder still listed means the inheritance mutation has not been done and the heirs — all of them — are your sellers, not the one who approached you.
Column 9 is possession-as-recorded, not title. A registered sale that was never mutated leaves the seller's name here while the buyer holds the deed. Always read column 9 together with the Encumbrance Certificate from Kaveri.
Column 10: nature of holding
How the holder in column 9 came to hold the land: purchase, inheritance (pouthi), partition, gift, or — the ones that matter — government grant, Inam, or a grant under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, PTCL. A grant may carry a non-alienation period; a PTCL grant cannot be sold to a non-member at all without permission, and a sale that ignores this is void, however many deeds have since been registered.
Column 11: encumbrances and other rights
Mortgages, crop loans, tenancy claims and government charges the Revenue Department has been told about. A bank entry here means the bank holds the land as security; the sale needs the bank's release and the entry removed. But an empty column 11 proves nothing: registered mortgages recorded at the SRO often never reach the RTC. The EC is the record of encumbrances; column 11 is a courtesy copy.
Columns 12–16: cultivation
| Column | Entry | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Cultivator's name | If it is not the holder in column 9, someone else is farming — a tenant, a lessee, or a family member who may claim |
| 13 | Mode of cultivation | Self, lease, or other; "lease" on agricultural land invites a tenancy question |
| 14–15 | Season and crop | Consistent crops show active cultivation; blank years suggest the land lies fallow or has quietly been built on |
| 16 | Irrigation source | Bore-well, canal, tank; tells you if the "dry" classification still reflects reality |
How to check an RTC before paying an advance
- 1Pull the current RTC from Bhoomi and confirm district, taluk, hobli, village, survey number, surnoc and hissa against the agreement.
- 2Read column 9: list every holder and their extent. Every name must be a party to the sale; a deceased holder means mutation first.
- 3Read column 10: any grant, Inam or PTCL entry goes to a lawyer before anything else happens.
- 4Read column 11 and then the Kaveri EC for the same property; treat the EC as authoritative on mortgages.
- 5Compare column 3 extent with the Akarband and the 11E sketch if only part is being sold; reconcile kharab in column 2.
- 6Pull the old-year RTCs for at least 13 years and the MR extract named in column 7 to see how the current holder acquired the land.
Frequently asked questions
What is column 9 in RTC?
The holder (owner as recorded by the Revenue Department) with the extent each holder holds. Every name in column 9 must join the sale.
What is kharab in the RTC?
Unassessed land within the survey number. A-kharab is cultivable waste that stays with the holder; B-kharab is government land — roads, nalas, tanks — inside the boundary that is not the holder's to sell or build on.
What does "nature of holding" mean?
Column 10 — how the holder acquired the land. Purchase, inheritance and partition are ordinary; grant, Inam and PTCL entries restrict transfer.
If column 11 is blank, is the land free of loans?
No. Column 11 only shows what the Revenue Department was informed of. Registered mortgages are in the Encumbrance Certificate from Kaveri, which is the record to rely on.
Why does the cultivator differ from the owner?
Column 12 records who is actually farming. A different name may be a lessee, a family member or a tenant — and under Karnataka land reforms a tenancy claim can be serious. Ask before you buy.
Which RTC do I need — current year or old?
Both. The current RTC shows who holds today; old-year RTCs show the chain. Signed copies of either are available through i-Wallet.
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This guide is general information about Karnataka land records, not legal advice. Records, fees and procedures change. Verify the current position for your specific property with the relevant department before acting on anything here.