What the RTC is
RTC stands for Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops. In Karnataka it is also called the pahani. It is the main revenue record for agricultural land, kept for each survey number and hissa (sub-division) number by the Revenue Department and maintained online through Bhoomi, the state's computerised land records system.
The RTC tells you who the revenue records show as holding the land, what the land is, and what rights or liabilities are recorded against it. It is the first paper anyone checks when land changes hands, and the one banks look at before a crop or land loan.
How to read an RTC
The layout of the printed RTC has changed over the years, but it carries the same kinds of information. Read it from top to bottom.
| Part of the RTC | What it shows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Location | District, taluk, hobli and village | It is the village the seller says it is |
| Survey and hissa number | The exact parcel | It matches the sale deed and the sketch |
| Total area | Extent in acres and guntas | It matches the deed and the land on the ground |
| Kharab | Portion that cannot be cultivated or belongs to the public | Whether part of the area is B-kharab, which is government land |
| Land type and revenue | Dry, wet or garden land, and the land revenue assessed | That the type matches what you see on site |
| Holder's name and extent | The person or persons the records show as holding the land, and each one's share | Every name matches a seller who will sign |
| Rights and liabilities | Loans, charges, court orders or other rights recorded against the land | Nothing is pending that would pass to you |
| Tenancy | Whether anyone is recorded as cultivating under tenancy | No tenant has a claim |
| Cultivation and crops | Who cultivates, the crops and irrigation | Whether the seller actually uses the land |
One acre in Karnataka is 40 guntas. Areas on old records may also show annas, a smaller unit.
If any part of the area is recorded as B-kharab, that part is public land such as a road, tank or stream. It cannot be sold to you even if the seller's deed includes it.
What the mutation register is
The mutation register (MR) records every change to the holder's name on the RTC. Each entry has a number and a date and gives the reason for the change. The common reasons:
- Sale. A registered sale deed.
- Inheritance. The holder died and the land passed to heirs.
- Partition. Family members divided the land.
- Gift or settlement. A registered gift or settlement deed.
- Court decree or order. A civil court, revenue court or tribunal decided who holds the land.
- Acquisition or grant. The government took or granted land.
Under Sections 128 and 129 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, a person who acquires rights in land must report it, and the officer enters it in the mutation register. A registered document is itself treated as such a report. The entry is then published so that anyone who objects can say so; the rules allow 30 days for objections. If there is no objection, the entry is certified and the RTC changes. If someone objects, the Tahsildar hears the dispute and decides.
Reading the mutation history
When you buy, ask for the mutation entries going back as far as the title chain your lawyer checks, and compare them line by line with the deeds.
- Every mutation should rest on a document or event you can see: a registered deed, a death certificate with a family tree, a partition deed, a court order.
- Look for mutations made on the strength of an unregistered document or a power of attorney alone. They are a common source of disputes.
- Look for entries marked as disputed or rejected. A rejected mutation means the change never took effect.
- Check the dates. A sale registered but never mutated means the RTC still shows the old holder. That is a gap to close before you buy.
How to view the RTC and mutation online
The Revenue Department's Bhoomi land records site lets you view the RTC and mutation register for any survey number. Select the district, taluk, hobli and village, then enter the survey number and hissa number. The same site has the mutation status, the revenue khata extract, survey documents and reports of dispute cases.
For an RTC you can rely on for a loan or a court case, use the i-RTC service on the same site, which issues a copy that can be verified, or get a copy from the taluk office or the village's Nadakacheri (citizen service centre). A screenshot of the free view is fine for your own checking but not as proof.
How mutation happens after you buy
Once your sale deed is registered at the sub-registrar office, the registration is reported to the revenue system and a mutation is started in your name. It still goes through the objection period before it is certified.
Do not assume it happens on its own. Keep checking the mutation status online. If it is stuck, go to the taluk office with a copy of the registered deed. Until the RTC shows your name, the revenue records still show the seller, and you may face problems with a loan, conversion or resale.
What the RTC does not prove
The RTC is a revenue record. Courts have long held that entries in revenue records are evidence of possession and liability to pay land revenue, not proof of title. Title is proved by the chain of registered deeds. That is why a clean RTC and a clean EC are both needed, and neither replaces the title check.
Read the RTC with the encumbrance certificate, the survey sketch and podi records, and the full checklist in every paper to check before buying land.
Red flags on an RTC or mutation register
- The seller's name is on the RTC but no mutation entry explains how it got there.
- The total of the holders' shares does not match the area of the survey number.
- A loan or court order appears under rights and liabilities.
- A tenant is recorded as cultivating the land.
- The area on the RTC is more or less than the area in the seller's deed.
- The mutation entry for the seller's purchase is marked disputed or is still pending.
- The land type has been changed recently without a conversion order. If the land is meant to be converted, see DC conversion in Karnataka.
How we help
We read the RTC and mutation history against the title deeds and tell you where they do not match, then help clear the gap: pending mutations, mismatched names or areas, and khata changes. See our documentation service or send us the survey number.
