Survey Settlement Register Extract (Akarband)
The foundational survey settlement register detailing the total extent, kharab (uncultivable) land, and revenue assessment for a survey number.
In Kannada: ಆಕಾರಬಂದ್·Also known as: Akarabandh · Akarband Register · Akarband Copy · survey settlement register · kharab land details · Akarband extract · ಆಕಾರಬಂದ್
How we know this: we retrieve the Akarband from Bhoomi / SSLR for clients every working day, so the steps, failure modes and workarounds below are what the portal actually does — not a summary of its documentation.
Shubham Tiwadi is a partner at Anashwar Property Solutions in Vijayapura. His team operates the retrieval systems that pull Karnataka land records directly from the Bhoomi, Kaveri Online and e-Aasthi portals, and handles title verification for buyers across Vijayapura district.
The Akarband (ಆಕಾರಬಂದ್) is a foundational document prepared by the Survey Settlement and Land Records (SSLR) Department in Karnataka. It acts as the master register for a specific survey number, established during the original land survey or a subsequent re-survey. The Akarband meticulously details the total geographical extent of the survey number, breaks down how much of that land is cultivable, identifies the exact extent of 'Kharab' (uncultivable or reserved) land, and fixes the land revenue assessment (tax) payable to the government. It is the ultimate source of truth regarding the size and classification of a land parcel, forming the basis upon which the RTC (Pahani) is generated.
When buying agricultural land, the extent mentioned in the seller's deed or the RTC often differs from the actual physical land available. The Akarband resolves these discrepancies. It is crucial for identifying 'Kharab' land—specifically 'B Kharab', which belongs to the government and cannot be sold, converted, or built upon. If an RTC shows 4 acres, but the Akarband reveals 1 acre is B Kharab, you are only legally buying 3 acres of usable land. Without checking the Akarband, buyers risk paying for land they can never own or use, leading to severe financial loss and litigation.
Step by step
Open the Bhoomi portal or the SSLR website (landrecords.karnataka.gov.in).
Navigate to the 'View Survey Documents' or 'Citizen Services' section.
Select 'Akarband' from the list of available survey documents.
Enter the District, Taluk, Hobli, Village, and Survey Number.
Fetch the document. For older, non-digitized villages, you may need to visit the Taluk Survey Office or Tahsildar office and apply manually via the Nadakacheri system.
Carefully read the breakdown of Kharab land. A and B Kharab are usually listed in separate columns or rows.
The official portal is SSLR Revenue Maps landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/service3 (Survey Settlement and Land Records (SSLR)) · Bhoomi landrecords.karnataka.gov.in (Revenue Department, Government of Karnataka). We fetch from it on your behalf — you never need to register there.
Anashwar Docs runs this sequence for you against the government portal and returns the PDF in 15–30 min. Request it on WhatsApp.
What goes wrong
Relying solely on the RTC for extent. The RTC is a revenue record; the Akarband is the survey record. In case of a discrepancy in extent, the Akarband prevails.
Ignoring the distinction between A Kharab and B Kharab. A Kharab can be utilized and sometimes converted. B Kharab is strictly government property and attempting to enclose or build on it is an illegal encroachment.
Many older Akarbands are handwritten in Kannada and use archaic survey terminology. Misinterpreting the numbers can lead to buying significantly less land than intended.
Assuming a recent sub-division (Phodi) has updated the master Akarband. Newly created Hissa numbers might only exist in a supplementary register (Tatima) until the next settlement.
Not cross-checking the Akarband against the PT Sheet (Survey Sketch). The numbers in the Akarband must geometrically match the sketch drawn by the surveyor.
Fix errors fast
| Symptom on Bhoomi / SSLR | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Akarband shows less cultivable land than the RTC | The RTC may not have been updated after a survey correction or land acquisition. Trust the Akarband's net extent for valuation and negotiate accordingly. |
| Document is not available online | Many village survey records are not fully digitized. File an application at the local Nadakacheri or Taluk Survey Office for a certified physical copy. |
| High amount of B Kharab is listed | Identify exactly where the B Kharab is located using the PT Sheet. Ensure the seller is not fencing government land and selling it to you as private property. |
| Handwritten numbers are illegible | Take the document to an experienced local surveyor or advocate who can read older Kannada numerals and survey shorthand. |
| Akarband and PT Sheet do not match | A survey error may have occurred. Commission an official government survey (Mojini) to reconcile the records before purchasing. |
| Seller claims B Kharab can be converted | This is almost always false. B Kharab is reserved for public use (drains, roads, grazing). It cannot be alienated or converted for private development. |
An Akarband is the fundamental survey settlement register prepared by the Survey Department. It defines the total geographical extent of a specific survey number, breaks down the land into cultivable area and uncultivable 'Kharab' land, and fixes the land revenue (tax) assessment. It is the definitive record of a property's size and classification.
The Akarband is the master register defining the total area and Kharab details of a survey number. The Tippan (or PT Sheet) is the visual, scaled sketch of that boundary. The RTC (Pahani) is the revenue document that states who currently owns that land. The Akarband and Tippan are survey records governing 'what' the land is, while the RTC is a revenue record governing 'who' owns it.
'A Kharab' is land that is uncultivable (like farm bunds or rocky patches) but belongs to the landowner and is included in their holding. 'B Kharab' is land reserved for public or government use (such as footpaths, streams, or burial grounds). B Kharab belongs to the government, cannot be sold by a private party, and cannot be converted for non-agricultural use.
There is no single English word for it. "Akar" (ಆಕಾರ) means shape or form and "band" (ಬಂದ್) means a bound register, so the Akarband is the bound register of the shape and extent of every survey number in a village, prepared at the original survey settlement. In English it is usually described as the survey settlement register or the land extent register.
The Akarband is the official survey register that records the total extent of a survey number and how much of it is Kharab (uncultivable or government) land. It is maintained by the Survey Settlement and Land Records department and is the document the RTC extent should reconcile against.
Open the SSLR survey records service (reached through Bhoomi), select district, taluk, hobli and village, enter the survey number and choose the Akarband. The extract can be viewed and downloaded as a PDF. Where the village register has not been digitised, the copy is issued on paper by the taluk survey office. Anashwar Docs retrieves it for you from whichever source holds it.
The register is the master book kept by the survey department for the whole village. The copy, or extract, is the certified page for one survey number that a citizen receives. When you order an Akarband you receive the extract for your survey number, not the whole register.
Discrepancies often occur due to historical transcription errors, recent land acquisitions for roads not updated in the RTC, or rounding differences during digital migration. Legally, the extent defined in the survey records (Akarband and PT Sheet) takes precedence over the revenue records (RTC) regarding physical area.
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Anashwar Docs
Message our desk on WhatsApp. We will check the requirements for your Akarband and get back to you.