Survey numbers and hissa numbers
Karnataka's land records start from the survey. Each village is divided into survey numbers, and each survey number has a fixed area, boundaries and a classification recorded in the survey department's basic record, called the akarband. The village map shows where each survey number lies.
When a survey number has been divided, the parts are given hissa numbers. A record that reads Sy. No. 112/3A means survey number 112, hissa 3A. Each survey or hissa number has its own RTC (pahani), the record that shows who holds the land, the extent, and how it is used. If you are new to the RTC, read RTC (pahani) and mutation first.
Extents are written in acres and guntas. One acre is 40 guntas, and one gunta is about 1,089 sq ft.
Two things inside a survey number catch buyers out:
- Kharab land. Part of a survey number may be recorded as kharab, meaning unfit for cultivation. A-kharab stays with the owner. B-kharab is government land, such as a road, stream or cremation ground inside the survey number, and a private owner cannot sell or convert it.
- Joint RTCs. One RTC can carry several owners, each with an extent, but with no line on the map showing who holds which part. That is where podi comes in.
What an 11E sketch is
An 11E sketch, also called a pre-mutation sketch, is a measured sketch of the exact part of a survey number that is being transferred. A licensed surveyor or a government surveyor measures the land on the ground and marks the portion being sold, gifted or partitioned within the existing survey number.
You need one when only part of a survey number changes hands. The state introduced the scheme in 2006 and made it compulsory for mutation of part extents. For registration, the 11E sketch number is entered in Kaveri, the registration department's system, where it can be checked against the survey department's records. After registration, the details go to the Bhoomi land records system, and the RTC is mutated on the strength of the sketch.
If the whole survey number or hissa is being sold, with no split, an 11E sketch is not the paper in question. If you are buying, say, 1 acre 10 guntas out of a 4-acre survey number, it is.
Ask for the 11E sketch before you fix the price. If the measured extent on the ground is smaller than the extent in the deed, you want to know before the deed is drafted.
What podi means
Podi (also spelt phodi) is the survey that divides a jointly held survey number into separate hissas. When a survey number has several owners on one RTC, the owners can apply for a podi sketch. The surveyor maps each owner's holding on the ground. Separate RTCs are then created for each new hissa, and the akarband is updated.
Podi matters to buyers for one reason. Where the RTC is a multiple-owner RTC, the survey department generally issues a sketch for one owner's piece only after the podi of the whole survey number is done. That can mean waiting for every co-owner to agree, or for disputes between them to be settled. A seller with a share in a joint RTC may not be able to sell you a clean, separately mapped piece quickly.
The state has run a campaign since 2015, called Podi Mukta Grama Abhiyan, to clear joint RTCs village by village. Reports from 2025 say it has sped up under a newer programme called Nanna Bhoomi. Even so, many survey numbers in the Malnad and in older villages are still jointly recorded.
The sketches you will hear about
| Sketch | When it is used | What follows |
|---|---|---|
| 11E (pre-mutation) sketch | Sale, gift or partition of part of a survey number | Registration, then mutation of the RTC |
| Podi (phodi) sketch | A survey number held by several owners on one RTC | Separate hissa numbers and RTCs |
| Alienation sketch | Converting all or part of farm land to non-farm use | Goes with the conversion application |
| Hadbast | An owner wants the boundaries of their holding marked | A boundary sketch, by a government surveyor |
You will also see tatkal podi on the survey department's service and fee lists, alongside the 11E sketch. Ask the taluk survey office whether your case calls for it.
The alienation sketch is part of land conversion. If you are converting, see DC conversion in Karnataka.
How to apply
Sketch applications go through Mojini, the survey department's system. The current version, Mojini V3, is on the Mojini website, where you can track an application by its number and view issued 11E, alienation and podi sketches and village maps. Applications can also be made at the taluk and hobli service centres.
The usual sequence:
- Check that the applicant's name is on the current RTC and that any earlier mutation is complete.
- Apply for the right service with the survey number, hissa number, village and the extent to be measured.
- Pay the fee shown at the time of applying. The state cut the maximum fees for 11E and podi work from 1 January 2024, and the fee now depends on the area and on whether the land is urban or rural.
- The surveyor visits and measures the land. Be there, with the seller and if possible the neighbours, so the boundaries are shown correctly.
- The sketch is approved and issued. Check the number, extent and boundaries against what was agreed.
How long this takes depends on the taluk's queue and on whether the survey number is jointly recorded. Start early and do not fix a registration date until you hold the sketch.
What a buyer should check
- The 11E matches the ground. Walk the boundaries with the sketch in hand. The road, stream and neighbouring fields should sit where the sketch shows them.
- The 11E matches the deed. The survey number, hissa, extent and boundaries in the sale deed should match the sketch exactly.
- The extent is net of kharab. If part of the land is B-kharab, it is not the seller's to sell. Check the RTC's kharab column and the village map.
- The RTC is not joint, or podi is done. If several owners share one RTC, ask whether podi is done or under way, and whether every co-owner is joining the sale.
- Your piece gets its own record. After mutation, check that the RTC shows your name and the right extent. Read more in every paper to check before buying land.
How we help
We read survey records the way the survey office does: the akarband, village map, RTC history and any earlier sketches, before you agree a price. We also follow 11E and podi applications through to the updated RTC. See our documentation service or ask us about a survey number.
