Some Revenue Terms...

1. Khatauni

Khatauni is the register of all persons cultivating or otherwise occupying land in a village as prescribed
according to Delhi Land Revenue Rules. It is prepared in Form P-VI. It is a document prepared as part of
record-of-right in every estate. It contains entries regarding ownership, cultivation and various rights in
land. It is revised every 4 years when it is prepared by Patwari and attested by the Revenue officer. This
duration is called Fasli-year.Khasra: (Record of Cultivation) It is a register of harvest inspections
(parhtaal). The Lekhpaal conducts the field harvest inspections in the month of October, February &
April, wherein he records facts regarding crop grown, soil classification, cultivable capacity of the
cultivators. The first six monthly inspection starting from Ist October is called as "Khariff" parhtaal while
the second commencing from Ist February is called "Rabi" parhtaal. In the month of april the "Zaid"
parhtaal is done.

2. Jamabandi

It is a document prepared as part of record-of-right of all persons owning land in a village according to
Punjab Land Record Manual. It contains entries regarding ownership, cultivation and various rights in
land. It is revised every 4 years when it is prepared by Patwari and attested by Revenue officer. The
changes of rights in land coming to the notice are reflected in the Jamabandi according to a set
procedure after verification by Revenue Officer.

Khatauni/Jamabandi are kept in the custody of halqua patwari. They are re-written after every four
years incorporating all the mutations (ie. charge of ownership) that has taken place during the four year
period. Khatauni/Jamabardi is the most important document as far as ownership of agricultural land is
concerned and one must ensure when he buys a piece of land that his / her name is incorporated in
Khatauni/Jamabandi by way of mutation. There is a seperate Khatauni/Jamabandi for each village.

3. 'Chak Bandi' of Land Holdings

It means amalgamation & redistribution of all or any of the land in a revenue estate or sub-division of an
estate, so as to reduce the number of plots in the holding.

4. Khasra Girdhawari : (Record of Cultivation)

It is a register of harvest inspections. The patwari conducts the field harvest inspections in the month of
October, February & April, wherein he records facts regarding crop grown, soil classification, cultivable
capacity of the cultivators. The first six monthly inspection starting from 1st October is called as Khariff
Girdhawari while the second commencing from Ist February is called Rabi Girdhawari. In the month of
April the "Zaid" Girdhawari is done.

The entries made by the Halqa Patwari are verified by the field Kanungo Kharsa Girdawari entries are
made in form P-1V in case of Delhi Land Revenue Act 1954 and in form no.11 in case of Punjab Land
Revenue Act 1887.

Some terms used in Girdhawari are:-

- Khasra number: a number assigned to a block of land.

- Murabba: a land block of 25 acres (100,000 m2).

- Patti: a composition of Khasra numbers.

- Intkaal: a notice required after registering a piece of land in ones name. One has to inform the Tehsil to
update their records.

- Wakf board: a government institution in religious and community land.

- Haq shufa: preemption right- blood relative or tiller can claim right to repurchase property at sale price
within one year should it be sold to an outsider.

- Muzaira: a cultivator who does not own land.

- Vasiyat: a will

- Khatouni: revenue record

- Ntkaal: it used to be the responsibility of buyer but now with computerization this process has become
automatic....

Several other terms are used. Some of them are listed here: Theka, Khevat, Kilabandi, Registry, Fard,
Mushtarka, Chhijraa, Degree, Decree, Takseem, Halfia Bayaan, Mutation.

Functions

Revenue Administration-Its function

1. Custodian of Land Records

2. Custodian of State, Kahcharai and Shamilat Lands

3. Maintenance of various documents and their regular updations

4. Implementation of various laws, policies and acts

5. Survey and Settlement

Land Records Maintenance

Maintenance, preservation and updations of land record are done in accordance with Revenue Acts of
the Jammu and Kashmir State. These acts are guiding factor for making new records at the time of new
Settlement. In the present structure, Revenue Department maintains the following necessary and major
type of documents;

• Record of Rights (RoR)

• Jamabandi

• Girdawari

• Mutation Register (Intikal)

The brief introduction to these documents is given below;

Record of Rights

The records prepared at the time of settlement operations in an estate or village is called Record of
Rights.(Misalhaquat).It contains the details of persons who are land holders, tenants or assignees of
Land revenue, rates, cesses or other payments due from such persons. It also contains genealogical tree
(Shajranasb), map of estate, village etc. This is the most important record so far as the evidential value is
concerned.

Jamabandi

It is the amended edition of the Record of Rights and actually that part of ROR which gives the list of
land holders and tenancy holders with details of fields, rents paid by each tenant and land revenue paid
by each land holder. It is prepared after every four years and is called annual record or Jamabandi
Chaharsala.

Girdawari

Known as harvest inspection is conducted twice in a year for Kharief and Rabi crops. It is carried out by
the Patwaris after spot inspection of each field for recording the condition of the standing crop including
kharaba.

Mutation Register

It is printed register with Patwari, separately maintained for each village consisting of normally 100
leaves. Each leaf has a foil and counterfoil and is duly numbered. The title page depicts the name of
village, Tehsil, District and date of issue etc. The foil is known as “Parat –Sarkar” and counterfoil as
“Parat-Patwar”. The parat-Patwar has to be entered by the Patwari as per the existing entries of the
Jamabandi and Parat- Sarkar are made as per the orders passed by the Revenue officers on mutations.
There are as many as twenty five categories of mutations and before writing up of Jamabandi of any
village or mauza, all changes which have taken place in record since the previous Jamabandi, are
updated through the orders passed on mutation.

Short Terms:

Abadi Deh... In inhabitant site of village

Badastur...Unaltered

Banjar... Uncultivated land

Banjar Jadid... New fellow (land not cultivated for continuous four harvests though it was cultivated
earlier.

Banjar Kadim... Old fallow (If continued to be uncultivated for next four harvests)

Barani... Dependent on rainfall

Bigha... A measure of area (It is different in different areas)

Biswa... One twentieth of a bigha

Biswansi... One twentieth of a biswa

Chahi... Irrigated from well

Chahi Nahri... Irrigated partly from a well and partly from canal.

Chari... A kind of millet (g.v.) grown for fodder

Chaukidar... Village Watchman

Chkota... Lump grain rent or rent consisting of a foxed amount of grain in the rabi and kharif.

Dholi... Death bed gift or a small plot of land to a Brahmin

Gair-Mumkin... Barren

Girdawar... Kanungo or Supervisor of Patwaris

Girdawari...Harvest Inspection

Gosha... Corner

Jawar... A kind of millet (Sorghum Val gave)

Kalar... Barren Land (Sour Clay)

Kanal...A measure of area

Kanungo... Supervisor of Patwaris

Karam... Unit of Length

Kharaba... Portion of crop which has failed to come.

Kharif... Autumn harvest

Khasra... List of fields, field register

Khasra Girdawari... Harvest Inspection Register

Khata... Holding of tenant

Khatauni... Holding slips prepared at re-measurement

Khewat... A list of Owner’s holding

Khewat/Khatauni... A combined Khewat & Khatauni

Khud Kashat... Cultivated by the owner himself

Killabandi... Rectangular measurement

Lamaberdar... Village Headman

Latha Girdawari... Cloth copy of the Patwari’s Map

Marla... Measuring of Area

Masri... A small pulse

Mauza... Village

Min... Portion / Part

Misal Haqiyat...Record-of-Right

Musavi...Mapping Sheet

Nahri... Irrigated from canal

Naib-Tehsildar... The Deputy or Assistant of Tehsildar

Parat Patwar... Patwari copy of the new settlement record

Parat Sarkar... Government Copy of the new settlement record

Patwari... A Village Accountant or Registrar

Rabi Spring Harvest

Sabik... Former

Sub-Division... A sub division of a district

Sub-Divisional Magistrate... In-charge of a tehsildar

Taccavi... Loan granted by a Government to landowner for agriculture purposes.

Tehsildar... In-charge of a tehsil

Waris... Successor

Wasil Baqi Nawis... Revenue Accountant in the Tehsil

Wattar... Diagonal Line

Zamindar... Landowner

Courtesy Hilal Khan , Facebook