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CategoriesLand Investment

7/12 and 8A Difference: What Each Record Actually Shows

By Girish Chhalwani,

TL;DR

  • The 7/12 and 8A difference in one line: the 7/12 is organised around a parcel of land, the 8A is organised around a person’s account in a village.
  • Both are maintained under section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. Neither is a title deed and neither proves ownership by itself.
  • Pull the 7/12 and you see one survey number. Pull the 8A and you see every holding that khatedar has in the same village.
  • That is why the 8A catches things the 7/12 cannot: undisclosed adjacent parcels, a holding split across survey numbers, and a seller who owns less than he implies.
  • Both come off the same portal, and on 23 September 2026 it offered exactly four record types: 7/12, 8A, Property Card and K-Prat.
  • The free copy of either carries the portal’s own disclaimer that it cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments · 20+ years in Maharashtra land acquisition, tenure and NA conversion · 8 min read · Last updated 23 September 2026

The 7/12 and 8A difference is not a matter of detail or format: the two records are indexed on different things. One answers “what is happening to this land”. The other answers “what land does this person hold here”. Buyers pull the first, skip the second, and miss the half of the picture that would have told them who they are dealing with.

Terms used on this page

Satbara is the 7/12 extract: the village record of rights for one parcel.

Khatedar is the person recorded as holding the land.

Khata is that holder’s account number in the village.

Mutation is the entry that records a change of holder in the record of rights.

Ferfar is that mutation entry itself, numbered and kept in sequence for the village.

Gat number is the group survey number given to a holding after consolidation.

Guntha is the Maharashtra land unit of 40 to the acre.

What is the 7/12 and 8A difference, in one line?

Both sit within the record of rights that section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 requires in every village, and the difference is the index. The 7/12 is indexed by survey or gat number. The 8A is indexed by the holder’s account in that village. Same data, sorted on a different key to answer a different question.

Village Form VII is the Record of Rights and Village Form XII is the crop register; the combined extract is named for those two village forms, not for sections 7 and 12 of any Act. The forms themselves are prescribed by rules made under section 328 of the Code. The 8A is the account register: it lists the survey numbers standing to one khatedar’s khata in that village, with the area against each.

Put plainly, if you ask the record about land you get a 7/12, and if you ask it about a person you get an 8A. Neither is more official than the other and neither is a deed.

What does each record actually contain?

The overlap is smaller than most buyers expect, and section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 is the common source rather than a guarantee that the two will agree. Where they disagree, the disagreement is itself the finding, and it usually points at an uncertified entry sitting between them.

7/12 extract and 8A extract compared
Feature 7/12 extract 8A extract
Indexed by Survey or gat number Khatedar’s khata in the village
Answers Who holds this parcel, and what is on it What does this person hold in this village
Area shown For that one parcel, in hectare, are and square metres Against each survey number in the account, and as a total
Other rights column Yes: charges, tenancies, pending entries, disputed notes No equivalent column
Crop position Yes, from Village Form XII No
Shows other parcels of the same holder No Yes, and that is the point of it
Useful for Reading one parcel in depth Reading one seller in breadth

Why does the 8A matter to a buyer at all?

Because a 7/12 will not tell you that the parcel you are buying is one of eleven the seller holds in that village, and section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 gives you the register that will. Breadth is a different risk from depth, and most buyers only ever check depth.

Three things the 8A surfaces routinely. A holding split across several survey numbers, where the seller is quietly selling the accessible part and keeping the landlocked remainder. An area total that does not reconcile with what the seller has been describing. And co-holders who appear against some parcels and not others, which is where a family arrangement usually shows itself.

There is a fourth, less obvious use. If you are buying two adjacent parcels from what you have been told are two unrelated sellers, the 8A will show you whether they are in fact one account.

The 7/12 tells you about the land. The 8A tells you about the person selling it. A title search that skips the second is a search of half the risk.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Where do you get each one?

Both come off the same state portal, and on 23 September 2026 it offered exactly four record types to choose between: 7/12, 8A, Property Card and K-Prat. You pick the record type first, then narrow to district, taluka and village, all of which are mandatory before the form will accept anything else.

Two observations from that same check are worth carrying. The district list offers thirty-five entries while the portal numbers districts internally up to thirty-six; the one that is absent is Mumbai City, which has no 7/12 at all and sits on Property Cards instead. And Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar appear only under those names, so a search for Osmanabad, Aurangabad or Ahmednagar returns nothing without telling you why.

The portal is also in Marathi only by its own notice, and a mobile number and captcha are compulsory on every query. Pulling a 7/12 and an 8A for one parcel is therefore two separate manual searches, not one.

Which record settles a dispute?

Neither, and the portal says so itself: its disclaimer states the information shown cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose. The record of rights under section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 is evidence of possession and of entries made, not a conclusive record of title.

For anything a lender, a court or a sub-registrar will read, you need the digitally signed extract rather than the free screen. And for the underlying question of who owns the land, you need the chain of registered documents, of which the record of rights is a reflection rather than the source.

The honest position is that these two records are a filter, not a conclusion. They are very good at telling you what to investigate next, which is exactly what a first pass should do.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main 7/12 and 8A difference?

The index. A 7/12 is organised around a survey or gat number and tells you about one parcel. An 8A is organised around a khatedar’s account and tells you every parcel that person holds in that village.

Do I need both for a land purchase?

For a serious purchase, yes. The 7/12 gives you depth on the parcel and the 8A gives you breadth on the seller. Each catches defects the other cannot show.

Are the 7/12 and 8A issued under the same law?

Both sit within the record of rights that section 148 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 requires to be maintained in every village. They draw on the same underlying record and are sorted on different keys.

Does the 8A prove ownership?

No. Neither record proves ownership. They evidence entries made in the record of rights, while title itself comes from the chain of registered documents.

Why does my district not appear on the portal?

Three districts are listed only under their current names: Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar. Mumbai City is absent entirely from the 7/12 list because it has no 7/12 and uses Property Cards instead.

Is the free extract accepted by a bank?

Generally not. The portal states its information cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose, so a lender will ask for the digitally signed version.

Checking a parcel in Karjat, Khopoli or Khalapur? THE EDGE Developments pulls the 8A alongside the 7/12 on every deal, because the seller matters as much as the survey number. Ask us to run both.

Related reading

Citations and sources

  • MahaBhulekh v2.0, Maharashtra Bhumi Abhilekh — the four record types, the mandatory district, taluka and village fields, the district list, the Marathi-only notice and the disclaimer, all read off the live portal on 23 September 2026.

An antique brass surveying instrument and a brass lens ring on a dark polished wooden desk under warm light
CategoriesLand Investment

Check Ferfar Status Online: Maharashtra Mutation Tracker

By Girish Chhalwani,

TL;DR

  • A ferfar is a mutation entry, which is the record of a change of holder in the village register, and you can check ferfar status online free on the state portal — but only once you know the district, the taluka and the village. There is no state-wide search.
  • The register of mutations is kept under section 150 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, and an entry sits in it as pending until it is certified.
  • A pending entry is the gap buyers pay into: the seller shows a 7/12 with his name on it while an unresolved entry is still running behind it.
  • The mutation number is the handle for everything else. Without it the Talathi office cannot find the file and neither can you.
  • Tested on the live portal on 23 September 2026: the site is Marathi only by its own notice, and a mobile number and captcha are mandatory on every single query.
  • The portal carries its own disclaimer that the information shown cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose. The free copy is a lead, not evidence.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments · 20+ years in Maharashtra land acquisition, tenure and NA conversion · 8 min read · Last updated 23 September 2026

Anyone can check ferfar status online in Maharashtra in about four minutes, free, and the check catches the single defect that most often survives a casual title read. The obstacle is not the fee or the login. It is that the portal will not let you search until you already know which village the land sits in.

Terms used on this page

Mutation is the entry that records a change of holder in the record of rights.

Ferfar is that mutation entry itself, numbered and kept in sequence for the village.

Satbara is the 7/12 extract: the village record of rights for one parcel.

Khatedar is the person recorded as holding the land.

Tahsildar is the revenue officer in charge of a taluka.

Gat number is the group survey number given to a holding after consolidation.

What is a ferfar, and why does its status decide your deal?

The register of mutations under section 150 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 is where every change of holder is written down before it reaches the 7/12. An entry is made, notice goes out, objections are heard, and only then is it certified. Until certification the entry exists but settles nothing.

That interval is the whole problem. A seller can hold a satbara showing his name while an entry behind it is still open, or while an earlier entry was certified over an objection that is now under appeal. The extract looks clean because the extract only shows the current state, not the argument that produced it.

So the status of the ferfar is a different question from what the 7/12 says today, and it is the more useful one. A buyer who reads only the current extract is reading the answer without the working.

How do you check ferfar status online?

The sequence below reflects the portal as it stood on 23 September 2026 and the order matters, because each step narrows the next. Fix the geography first, pull the record, then read the entries in sequence under section 150 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 rather than skipping to the latest one.

  1. Fix the village before you touch the portal. District, taluka and village are all mandatory fields. If you have only a survey number and a seller’s name, you cannot begin; get the village from the agreement, the tax receipt or the previous deed.
  2. Choose the record type. The portal offers four: 7/12, 8A, Property Card and K-Prat. For a rural parcel you want the 7/12; urban land sits on the Property Card instead.
  3. Enter the survey or gat number. The form accepts a numeric survey number or an alphabetic one, and these are separate options rather than one field that takes both.
  4. Supply a mobile number and clear the captcha. Both are compulsory on every query, which is also why nobody can run this in bulk across a chain of villages.
  5. Read the other rights column, not the occupant column. Pending entries, charges, tenancies and disputed notes live here, and this is the column sellers do not volunteer.
  6. Take the mutation number off the entry and take it to the Talathi. The online view tells you an entry exists. The office file tells you what it says and whether anybody objected.

What does the portal refuse to do?

Four limits, all observed directly on the live portal on 23 September 2026 and none of them documented anywhere a buyer would normally look. Knowing them before you start is the difference between a four-minute check and a wasted afternoon, and two of the four will return nothing at all rather than an error.

Mahabhulekh as observed on 23 September 2026
What we found What it means for your search
The portal carries an explicit notice that it is available in Marathi only, and that third-party transliteration tools are not expected to be used Names have to be read and entered in Devanagari, spelled the way the record spells them rather than the way the seller spells them in English
A mobile number and a captcha are compulsory on every query The check cannot be scripted or run in bulk; a chain of five villages is five manual queries
The district list offers thirty-five entries, while the portal numbers districts internally up to thirty-six The missing one is Mumbai City, which has no 7/12 at all and sits on Property Cards instead
Three districts appear only under their current names: Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahilyanagar Searching for Osmanabad, Aurangabad or Ahmednagar returns nothing, and it returns nothing silently

The portal also carries its own disclaimer, and it is the most important line on the page: the information shown there cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose. Treat the free view as a lead. For anything a lender, a court or a sub-registrar will read, you need the digitally signed copy.

Where does the mutation number actually appear?

On the 7/12 itself, in the other rights column, and it is the handle for everything that follows under section 150 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. Each entry carries its own number in the village sequence, and that number is what the Talathi office uses to find the file.

Without it you are asking a clerk to search by name and date, which in a village with three families sharing a surname is not a search at all. With it, you can ask for the specific thing worth asking for: the notice that was issued, who objected, and the order that certified or rejected the entry.

The extract tells you who holds the land today. The mutation file tells you whether anybody disagreed, and disagreement is what turns up two years after you have paid.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

What does a pending entry mean for a buyer?

It means the record of rights is mid-sentence, and section 150 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 has not yet finished it. A pending entry is not a defect by itself. Most of them are routine and most are certified without objection. The risk is in buying while one is open without knowing what it says.

The workable rule is simple. If an entry is pending, find out what it does before you pay anything that cannot be recovered. If it records the seller acquiring the land, the seller is selling something he does not yet hold on the record. If it records somebody else acquiring an interest, you need to know that before the sale deed, not after.

Where the entry has been certified but an appeal is running, the extract will look entirely clean. That case is invisible to this check, and it is the reason a ferfar status check is one step in a title search rather than the whole of it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check ferfar status online without knowing the village?

No. District, taluka and village are all mandatory fields before the portal will accept a survey number or a name. If you have only a seller name, get the village from the agreement, a tax receipt or the previous deed first.

Is the free online ferfar legally valid?

No. The portal states that the information shown cannot be used for any governmental or legal purpose. For a lender, a court or a sub-registrar you need the digitally signed extract rather than the free screen.

What is the difference between a pending and a certified mutation?

A pending entry has been made but not yet decided after notice and objections. A certified entry has been decided, and it is the certified ones that are reflected as settled on the record of rights.

Where do I find the mutation number?

In the other rights column of the 7/12 extract. Each entry carries its own number in the village sequence, and that number is what the Talathi office needs to retrieve the file.

Can I run this check for several villages at once?

No. A mobile number and a captcha are compulsory on every query, so each village is a separate manual search. A chain of five villages is five searches.

Does a clean extract mean there is no dispute?

Not necessarily. Where an entry has been certified and an appeal is running against it, the current extract can look entirely clean. That is why a ferfar check sits inside a wider title search rather than replacing one.

Buying in the Karjat, Khopoli or Khalapur belt? THE EDGE Developments reads the mutation history before the price is agreed, not after the deposit. Ask us to check a parcel.

Related reading

Citations and sources

A bundle of land documents tied with red string resting on a dark wooden desk beside a lit brass lamp
CategoriesLand Investment

Government Valuation of Land in Maharashtra: How It Works

By Girish Chhalwani,

TL;DR

  • The government valuation of land in Maharashtra is the Annual Statement of Rates, and it is prepared under Rule 4 of the Maharashtra Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995.
  • The officer who prepares it is named in the Rule: the Joint Director of Town Planning and Valuation, Maharashtra State, assisted by officers appointed for the purpose.
  • Since the 2015 amendment the statement comes into force on the 1st day of April each year. Before that it changed on 1 January, which is why older guides give the wrong date.
  • The figure is a floor for stamp duty, not a ceiling on price and not an opinion of what the land is worth.
  • Rule 6 is the route when the figure cannot be arrived at from the statement alone: the registering officer refers the property to the Collector for determination after local enquiry.
  • The free online rate display carries no legal status. For anything a lender or a court will read, the rate has to come through the Department.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments · 20+ years in Maharashtra land acquisition, tenure and NA conversion · 8 min read · Last updated 23 September 2026

The government valuation of land in Maharashtra has a statutory name, a named author and a fixed commencement date, and almost every guide online gets the date wrong. It is the Annual Statement of Rates. Buyers call it the ready reckoner rate, agents call it the government rate, and the confusion costs people money at exactly the moment a deal is being priced.

Terms used on this page

Satbara is the 7/12 extract: the village record of rights for one parcel of land.

Khatedar is the person recorded as holding the land.

Guntha is the Maharashtra land unit of 40 to the acre.

Tahsildar is the revenue officer in charge of a taluka.

Mutation is the entry that records a change of holder in the record of rights.

Ferfar is the mutation entry itself, numbered and kept in sequence.

What is the government valuation of land, and who fixes it?

Rule 4 of the Maharashtra Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995 provides that the Joint Director of Town Planning and Valuation, Maharashtra State, shall prepare the annual statement of rates, assisted by officers appointed for the purpose. It is an administrative act with a named author, not an algorithm.

That matters more than it sounds. A valuation with a named officer behind it is a valuation that can be questioned, corrected and appealed. A number that simply appears on a portal cannot be. When somebody tells you “the government rate is X”, the correct next question is which statement, for which year, and for which zone.

The Rules themselves are made under section 69 of the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958, and they operate alongside sections 31 and 32-A of that Act. Section 31 is the adjudication route, where a party asks the Collector to determine the duty payable on an instrument before it is executed. Section 32-A is the reference that follows registration where the registering officer believes the value has been understated.

When does a new rate come into force?

Since the 2015 amendment to these Rules the annual statement comes into effect every year on the 1st day of April. It previously came into force on the 1st day of January. Guides written before that change, and guides that copied them since, still print the January date.

The practical consequence is a window. A deal negotiated in February against the current statement and registered in April is registered against a different one. Where rates have moved, the duty moves with them, and the party who agreed to bear the duty carries that movement.

Which statement applies to your instrument
Date of execution Statement that applies What to check
On or after 1 April The statement notified for that financial year Confirm the year shown on the rate you were quoted
Before 1 April The previous financial year’s statement Whether registration will slip past 31 March
Executed in one year, registered in the next Duty attaches to the instrument, so the date of execution governs That execution is dated, and provably so

How is the rate actually built for a specific parcel?

The statement is built by zone, not by survey number, which is why section 32-A of the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 exists at all. A zone rate is an average across land the statement treats as comparable. Your parcel may be materially better or worse than the zone average, and the statement has no way to know that.

So the rate you read is a starting point that then gets adjusted for the things the statement does account for: the nature of the land, whether it is agricultural or converted, its frontage, and the built structure on it if any. A parcel whose satbara still shows it as agricultural is valued as agricultural land even where a layout has been sanctioned around it.

This is the single most common pricing error we see. A buyer reads a developed-land rate for the zone, applies it to a parcel that is still agricultural on the record of rights, and budgets duty against a number the sub-registrar will never accept.

What if the government valuation is wrong for your land?

Rule 6 of the 1995 Rules is the answer, and it is not an appeal. Where the registering officer believes the true valuation of the immovable property cannot be arrived at without recourse to local enquiry, the matter is referred to the Collector, who determines the true market value after that enquiry.

Read that carefully, because the direction of travel surprises people. Rule 6 is a mechanism for the department to look harder at a property, and it can move the value up as easily as down. It is not a discount counter. Where a parcel is genuinely disadvantaged — landlocked, under a reservation, encumbered by a right of way — the enquiry is the place to establish it, with documents rather than assertions.

The rate is a floor for duty, not an opinion of what the land is worth. Treating it as a valuation is how buyers talk themselves into overpaying and sellers talk themselves into underpricing.

Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Where does the figure actually bite in your deal?

In three places, and section 31 of the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 governs the first of them. Before execution you can have the duty adjudicated. At registration the sub-registrar checks the consideration against the statement. After registration a reference under section 32-A can still follow if the value appears understated.

Between those three points, a mutation entry, the ferfar, can change the description of the land on the record of rights and therefore the rate band it falls into. A parcel that converts from agricultural to non-agricultural between negotiation and registration does not carry the price it was negotiated at, for duty purposes.

The order that works: read the record of rights first, establish what the land legally is today, then look up the rate for that description, then price. Doing it the other way round produces a number that has to be defended rather than one that simply holds.

Frequently asked questions

Is the government valuation of land the same as the ready reckoner rate?

Yes. The Annual Statement of Rates is the statutory name and the ready reckoner rate is the market name for the same thing. The statement is prepared under Rule 4 of the Maharashtra Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995.

Who prepares the Annual Statement of Rates in Maharashtra?

The Joint Director of Town Planning and Valuation, Maharashtra State, assisted by officers appointed for the purpose. The Rule names the office rather than leaving it to a department generally.

On what date does the new rate take effect?

The 1st day of April each year, following the 2015 amendment to the Rules. Before that amendment the statement came into force on the 1st day of January, and many guides still print the older date.

Can I pay stamp duty on a price lower than the government valuation?

You can agree any price you like, but duty is charged on the higher of the consideration and the value arrived at under the statement. Paying less than the statement value does not reduce the duty.

Can the government valuation be challenged?

Rule 6 allows the registering officer to refer a property to the Collector for determination of true market value after local enquiry. It is a determination rather than an appeal, and the outcome can be higher than the statement rate.

Does the rate differ for agricultural land?

Yes. The statement values land according to what it legally is on the record of rights, so a parcel still recorded as agricultural is valued as agricultural even where development has been sanctioned nearby.

Pricing a parcel in the Karjat, Khopoli or Khalapur belt? THE EDGE Developments reads the record of rights before quoting a rate, so the duty number holds at the sub-registrar rather than moving on the day. Talk to us about a parcel.

Related reading

Citations and sources

A brass magnifying glass resting on stacked cream document pages marked with a large numeral 01, beside a pen and reading glasses on a dark wooden desk.
CategoriesLand Investment

How to Register Property Online in Maharashtra 2026

By Girish Chhalwani,

Key Takeaways

  • You cannot register every property sale fully online in Maharashtra in 2026. Fully online registration is established only for Leave & License (rent) agreements.
  • The IGR department newly launched e-registration for first-sale Agreement-to-Sale documents on 3 September 2025 — but it is developer-to-buyer only and is rolling out project by project, not statewide.
  • For resale (secondary-market) sale deeds, the conventional process still applies: pay stamp duty and registration fee online, then attend the Sub-Registrar Office (SRO) in person.
  • Everyone pays stamp duty and the registration fee online via GRAS — that step is online for all three routes, but paying online is not the same as registering online.
  • Under the Registration Act, 1908, a sale of immovable property must be registered; an unregistered sale deed does not serve as valid evidence of title.

By Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments · 20+ years in Maharashtra land acquisition and registration · Reading time: 8 min · Last updated: 2 August 2026

Can you register property fully online in Maharashtra in 2026?

Only partly. As of 2026, Maharashtra offers fully online (e-)registration for Leave & License rent agreements through the IGR e-registration portal, and it has newly launched online e-registration for property sale agreements — the Department of Registration & Stamps rolled out e-registration of Agreement-to-Sale (first-sale, developer-to-buyer) documents on 3 September 2025, beginning with select projects. For most resale sale deeds in 2026, the conventional process still applies: you pay stamp duty and the registration fee online, then attend the Sub-Registrar Office in person with the parties and witnesses for biometric and photo verification.

So the honest answer to “can I register my flat online?” depends entirely on which of three routes your transaction falls into. The rest of this guide sorts that out, then walks the actual steps.

What can and cannot be done online — the 2026 reality

The single most common mistake buyers make is assuming that because they paid stamp duty online, the property is “registered online.” It is not. Registration is a separate legal act of recording the instrument with the Sub-Registrar. This table shows exactly which parts of the process are online for each route.

Step Leave & License (rent) Sale agreement (first-sale) Resale sale deed
Draft / data entry online Yes Yes (new, Sept 2025) Prepared offline / via SRO
Pay stamp duty + registration fee online (GRAS) Yes Yes Yes
Aadhaar e-KYC Yes Yes At SRO
Biometric verification Online / remote Online (as launched) In person at SRO
Physical SRO visit required No No (for covered projects) Yes
Statewide availability 2026 Yes Rolling out project-by-project Conventional

Source: Department of Registration & Stamps, Maharashtra (IGR); IGR e-Registration portal; industry reporting of the IGR 3 September 2025 launch. The official Government Resolution number for the September 2025 sale-agreement launch has not been published in a form we could independently verify, so we attribute it to the IGR announcement rather than a circular reference.

e-Registration vs paying stamp duty online — not the same thing

Paying stamp duty online means settling a tax; e-registration means legally recording the document without visiting an office. Every buyer in Maharashtra can pay stamp duty and the registration fee electronically through GRAS (the Government Receipt Accounting System) on the Maharashtra government portal — this has been available for years and applies to all three routes above. What changed in 2025 is that IGR began letting certain transactions also complete the registration step online, without a Sub-Registrar visit.

Keep the two ideas separate: GRAS = payment, e-registration = execution and recording. A resale buyer will use GRAS for payment but still must appear at the SRO to register.

The three registration routes explained

Leave & License (rent agreements): Fully online and statewide. IGR runs a live e-Registration portal for Leave and License agreements using Aadhaar-based e-KYC, biometric/thumb verification, and online payment — no SRO visit. This is the mature, established use of Maharashtra’s e-registration system.

First-sale Agreement-to-Sale (developer to homebuyer): Newly online. On 3 September 2025 IGR launched e-registration of property Agreement-to-Sale documents, first implemented at a large Panvel township. It covers first-sale developer-to-buyer agreements and uses agreement drafting, Aadhaar-based e-KYC, biometric verification, online payment of stamp duty and registration charges, and final digital registration. Resale transactions are not yet covered, and rollout is project by project rather than statewide.

Resale sale deed (secondary market): Conventional. This is still the majority of transactions. You pay online, then all parties and two witnesses attend the SRO in person for verification and execution.

Step-by-step: registering a property sale in Maharashtra 2026

These are the steps for a standard resale sale deed — the most common case, and the one that still needs an SRO visit. First-sale buyers on a covered e-registration project follow steps 1–2 online and then complete verification digitally instead of at the office.

  1. Confirm the value and calculate dues. Establish the higher of the agreement value or the ready-reckoner (stamp-duty) value, then compute stamp duty and the registration fee on that figure. See our stamp duty and ready reckoner guide for the current rates.
  2. Pay stamp duty and registration fee online via GRAS. Use e-payment / e-SBTR / e-Challan on the Maharashtra government (GRAS) portal to generate the payment receipt. Keep the challan — you will need it at execution.
  3. Prepare the sale deed and gather documents. Draft the deed with correct party details, property schedule, and consideration. Assemble PAN and Aadhaar of all parties, the payment challan, prior title documents, and, for due diligence, a current encumbrance certificate.
  4. Book the Sub-Registrar appointment (e-Step In). Reserve a token/slot for the relevant SRO through the department’s online appointment system so parties and witnesses attend together at a fixed time.
  5. Attend the SRO for execution and biometrics. Buyer, seller, and two witnesses appear in person. The Sub-Registrar captures photographs and thumb impressions, verifies identity, and records the document. First-sale e-registration projects complete this verification digitally instead.
  6. Collect the registered document and Index II. After registration you receive the registered instrument and can retrieve the Index II and registered copy from the IGR portal.

Documents and people you must bring to the SRO

  • People: buyer(s), seller(s), and two witnesses — all in person for a resale deed.
  • Identity: PAN and Aadhaar of every party and both witnesses.
  • The deed: the drafted sale deed / agreement, with the property schedule.
  • Payment proof: the GRAS stamp-duty and registration-fee challan.
  • Title chain: prior deed(s), and supporting records such as the 7/12 or property card — check them first on Mahabhulekh.

What the law requires

Registration of a sale of immovable property is mandatory under the Registration Act, 1908. Section 17 of the Act requires instruments of sale of immovable property to be registered, and an unregistered sale deed cannot be relied on as valid evidence of title. Stamp duty itself is levied under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958. Maharashtra’s e-registration provisions enable electronic execution and recording — the framework the Leave & License and new first-sale e-registration facilities run on. The law does not yet make online registration universal for sale deeds; it enables it selectively, which is why the route you fall into matters.

“Buyers hear ‘online registration’ and assume the whole deal can close from a laptop. In 2026 that’s true for a rent agreement and for a handful of new builder projects — but for a resale flat you still walk into the Sub-Registrar’s office in person. The safe way to read any headline is: paying online is universal, registering online is not. Confirm which route your transaction is on before you plan your timeline.”

— Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

After registration: getting your registered copy and Index II

Once the document is registered, you can retrieve the registered copy and the Index II — the one-page summary the department issues as proof of a registered transaction — online through IGR’s public document search, without another office visit. Our detailed walkthrough of IGR search, Index II, and registered documents covers exactly how. This is genuinely online for everyone, regardless of which registration route you used.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register my flat purchase in Maharashtra fully online in 2026?

Not in most cases. Fully online registration is established for Leave & License rent agreements, and IGR newly launched online e-registration for first-sale (developer-to-buyer) Agreement-to-Sale documents on 3 September 2025 for select projects. Resale flat purchases in 2026 still require attending the Sub-Registrar Office in person after paying online.

What’s the difference between e-registration and just paying stamp duty online?

Paying stamp duty online (through GRAS) settles a tax and generates a payment challan — every buyer can do this. e-Registration is the separate legal step of executing and recording the document without visiting an office, which in 2026 is available only for Leave & License agreements and covered first-sale projects.

Do I still have to visit the Sub-Registrar office?

For a resale sale deed, yes. The buyer, seller, and two witnesses must appear in person for biometric and photo verification and execution. Only Leave & License agreements and covered first-sale e-registration projects remove the in-person SRO visit.

Is online registration available for resale flats or only new builder flats?

Only new builder (first-sale) flats on covered projects, and only since the 3 September 2025 launch. Resale flats in the secondary market are not covered by sale-agreement e-registration and follow the conventional pay-online-then-attend-SRO process.

How do I pay stamp duty online in Maharashtra?

You pay through GRAS (the Government Receipt Accounting System) on the Maharashtra government portal, using e-payment, e-SBTR, or e-Challan to generate a receipt. This applies to all three registration routes, including resale, and is separate from registering the document.

Is Aadhaar mandatory for property registration in Maharashtra?

Aadhaar-based e-KYC is used for the online routes — Leave & License and first-sale e-registration rely on it for identity and biometric verification. For a resale sale deed at the SRO, identity is verified in person, with PAN and Aadhaar carried by all parties.

After registration, how do I get a copy of my registered document?

You retrieve the registered copy and the Index II summary online through IGR’s public document search, without another office visit. This is available for every registered transaction regardless of the route used to register it.

Registering land or a plot near Mumbai 3.0?

THE EDGE Developments handles stamp duty, registration, and title due diligence end to end for our branded plots and villas. Get the paperwork done right the first time.

Talk to our land team »

Related reading

Citations & sources

  • Department of Registration & Stamps, Maharashtra (IGR) — igrmaharashtra.gov.in (registration authority). Verified 2026-08-02.
  • IGR e-Registration portal (Leave & License) — efilingigr.maharashtra.gov.in/ereg. Verified 2026-08-02.
  • IGR public document search / Index II — freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in. Verified 2026-08-02.
  • IGR launch of sale-agreement e-registration, 3 September 2025 (industry reporting of the IGR announcement) — RealtynMore. Verified 2026-08-02. Official GR/circular number unverified.
  • Registration Act, 1908 (mandatory registration of sale instruments) and Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 (stamp duty) — governing statutes.
  • GRAS (Government Receipt Accounting System), Maharashtra — online payment of stamp duty and registration fee (portal blocks automated checks; live in-browser).

Aerial drone view of subdivided agricultural land plots with boundary lines
CategoriesLand Investment

Bhunaksha Maharashtra: Verifying Land Boundaries & Survey Maps via Government GIS

By Girish Chhalwani,
Home › Land Investment › Bhunaksha Maharashtra: Verifying Land Boundaries & Survey Maps via Government GIS
Key Takeaways

  • Bhunaksha Maharashtra (mahabhunakasha.mahabhumi.gov.in) is the state’s cadastral GIS portal — it shows the visual shape, boundaries, and layout of survey/gat numbers, which no 7/12 or Property Card can show.
  • A 7/12 or Property Card tells you who owns land and what it’s worth on paper; Bhunaksha is the only official source that shows where the plot’s boundaries actually sit relative to neighbouring survey numbers.
  • Lookup requires selecting state, district, taluka, and village, then choosing the survey/gat number to view the plot on a geo-referenced map.
  • You can generate and download a Map/Plot report in PDF format directly from the portal.
  • Boundary verification via Bhunaksha before purchase reduces the risk of buying land with a different actual shape/area than what’s documented, or land overlapping a neighbour’s parcel.
  • Bhunaksha has real limitations — map accuracy depends on the underlying survey quality, and old or un-resurveyed areas can show outdated or imprecise boundary lines.

Reading time: 7 min | Last updated: July 2026 | By Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Bhunaksha Maharashtra is the state government’s cadastral GIS mapping portal that shows the actual shape, boundaries, and layout of a land parcel on a map — something neither a 7/12 extract nor a Property Card can show you. Ownership documents tell you who owns a plot and roughly how large it is on paper. Bhunaksha is the only official tool that shows where that plot physically sits, what shape it is, and which survey numbers border it. For any land purchase, especially agricultural or peri-urban plots, checking Bhunaksha before you check anything else is one of the cheapest, fastest due-diligence steps available.

What Bhunaksha Shows That 7/12 and Property Card Don’t

Document Shows Ownership/Tax Data Shows Visual Shape/Boundaries
7/12 Extract Yes — owner, area, crop, encumbrances No
Property Card Yes — owner, area, tenure, encumbrances No
Bhunaksha (cadastral map) No (references survey/CTS number only) Yes — plot shape, boundary lines, adjoining survey numbers, approximate dimensions

This distinction matters more than it sounds. A 7/12 can confirm a plot is “2.5 hectares in Survey No. 145” — but it cannot tell you whether that plot is a neat rectangle or an irregular sliver squeezed between two other survey numbers, whether it fronts a road, or whether the boundary a seller points to on-site actually matches the government’s recorded boundary. Bhunaksha closes that gap.

How to Look Up a Plot on Bhunaksha Maharashtra

  1. Visit mahabhunakasha.mahabhumi.gov.in (also reachable via the mahabhumi.gov.in land records hub).
  2. Select State (Maharashtra), then Category (rural/urban as applicable).
  3. Choose District, Taluka, and Village from the dropdowns.
  4. The village map loads with individual survey/gat number parcels outlined.
  5. Click on your specific survey/gat number, or search it directly if the portal offers a number-based lookup, to highlight that plot.
  6. Select “Geo-referenced map” to view the plot positioned against real-world coordinates (useful for cross-checking against satellite imagery).
  7. Use the Map Report or Plot Report option to generate and download a PDF showing the plot boundary, area, and adjoining survey numbers.

What the Plot Report PDF Typically Includes

Field Purpose
Survey/Gat Number & Plot Shape Visual outline of the parcel as surveyed
Adjoining Survey Numbers Confirms which plots border yours on each side — critical for spotting encroachment risk
Approximate Area Cross-check against the area stated on the 7/12 or Property Card
North Direction / Orientation Helps match the map to the physical site during a visit

Why Boundary Verification Matters Before Purchase

  • Area mismatches are common. The area recorded decades ago on a 7/12 can differ from actual measured area, especially after old partitions or informal boundary shifts. Bhunaksha lets you sanity-check the documented area against the mapped shape.
  • Encroachment risk. If a neighbouring survey number’s boundary has crept into the plot you’re buying (a frequent issue with unfenced agricultural land), the cadastral map is the fastest way to spot the discrepancy before you buy, not after.
  • Access and road-frontage confirmation. Whether a plot actually fronts a public road, or is landlocked and dependent on a right-of-way through a neighbour’s land, is far easier to see on a map than to infer from a paper record.
  • Layout planning for NA/construction. If you intend to convert land to non-agricultural use or plan a layout, knowing the exact plot shape and adjoining numbers upfront avoids costly resurveys later.
  • Cross-verification against the seller’s site walk. Sellers sometimes point out boundaries generously during a site visit. Compare what you’re shown on the ground against the Bhunaksha map before agreeing to anything.

“I’ve walked buyers through plots where the boundary shown on-site didn’t match the survey map at all — sometimes by a few feet, sometimes by a lot more. A 7/12 will never tell you that; only the cadastral map will. Pull the Bhunaksha report before you pull out your chequebook, not after.” — Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Limitations of Bhunaksha — What It Can’t Guarantee

Limitation Why It Matters
Accuracy depends on underlying survey quality Areas last surveyed decades ago may have digitisation errors or outdated boundary data; the map is only as good as the original measurement.
Not a substitute for a physical survey For high-value or disputed boundaries, a licensed surveyor’s on-ground measurement (using GPS/total station) remains the authoritative check.
Doesn’t show ownership or encumbrances Bhunaksha is purely a geometric/spatial record — you still need the 7/12, Property Card, and Encumbrance Certificate for ownership and legal status.
Urban re-survey gaps Some municipal areas mid-way through City Survey conversion (see our guide on 7/12-to-Property Card reform) may show incomplete or transitional map data.
Server/portal reliability Like most government GIS portals, occasional downtime or slow load times during peak usage are common; plan lookups with some buffer time.

Fitting Bhunaksha Into Your Overall Due Diligence

Bhunaksha is one layer in a four-part document stack every serious land buyer in Maharashtra should run:

Document What It Confirms
7/12 Extract or Property Card Current ownership, area on paper, tenure, encumbrances
Bhunaksha Map Physical shape, boundaries, adjoining plots
IGR Index II / Encumbrance Certificate Registered transaction history and mortgage status
Physical site visit + local verification Ground-truthing everything above, ideally with a surveyor and local revenue official present

For the full picture of where to check each of these online, see our guide on checking property records online in Maharashtra.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bhunaksha Maharashtra?

Bhunaksha is the Maharashtra government’s cadastral GIS mapping portal (mahabhunakasha.mahabhumi.gov.in) that shows the visual shape, boundaries, and layout of land parcels linked to their survey/gat or CTS numbers.

How is Bhunaksha different from a 7/12 extract or Property Card?

A 7/12 or Property Card shows ownership, area, and encumbrance data in text form. Bhunaksha shows the actual visual shape and boundary of the plot on a map — it does not show ownership information.

How do I look up my plot on Bhunaksha?

Visit mahabhunakasha.mahabhumi.gov.in, select state, district, taluka, and village, then locate and click your survey/gat number to view and download the plot’s map and report.

Can I download a boundary map as a PDF?

Yes, the portal offers a Map/Plot Report option that generates a downloadable PDF showing the plot’s outline, approximate area, and adjoining survey numbers.

Is Bhunaksha’s map legally authoritative for boundary disputes?

It is an official government record and a strong reference, but for active boundary disputes or high-value transactions, a licensed surveyor’s on-ground measurement is the more authoritative and enforceable check.

Why should I check Bhunaksha before buying land?

It’s the only official source that shows a plot’s actual shape and boundaries, helping you catch area mismatches, encroachment risk, or access/road-frontage issues before you commit to a purchase.

Does Bhunaksha work for urban Property Card land too?

Bhunaksha primarily covers cadastral (survey-number-based) rural and semi-urban land. For fully urban City Survey areas, boundary mapping may be handled through the City Survey Office’s own records rather than the standard Bhunaksha interface.

What if the map on Bhunaksha looks outdated or inaccurate?

Map accuracy depends on when the area was last surveyed. If you suspect the data is outdated, request a re-verification or fresh measurement through the local Land Records / City Survey Office rather than relying solely on the online map.

Is there a fee to use Bhunaksha?

Viewing the map is typically free; downloading certain certified reports may involve a nominal fee depending on the district’s implementation.

Citations & Sources

Related Reading

Don’t Buy Land Without Verifying Its Actual Boundaries

THE EDGE Developments checks Bhunaksha maps, survey boundaries, and adjoining plot data on every parcel before we recommend it. Talk to us before you finalise a purchase.

connect@theedgedevelopments.com | Phone: +91-9664662938

Aerial view of urban residential blocks and street grid representing property card records
CategoriesLand Investment

Property Card (Malmatta Patrak) Explained: Urban Land Records in Maharashtra

By Girish Chhalwani,
Home › Land Investment › Property Card (Malmatta Patrak) Explained: Urban Land Records in Maharashtra
Key Takeaways

  • A Property Card (Malmatta Patrak) is Maharashtra’s urban land ownership record, maintained by the City Survey Office — the direct counterpart to the rural 7/12 extract.
  • It identifies land by CTS Number (City Survey/City Town Survey Number), not the Survey/Gat Number used in rural 7/12 records.
  • A Property Card shows ownership, plot/built-up area, tenure type, and a mutation history of past transactions and encumbrances on the property.
  • You can view/download a Property Card online via mahabhumi.gov.in for Mumbai Suburban and most other districts, and via mumbaicity.gov.in specifically for Mumbai City district.
  • For buyers, the Property Card is the single most important document to confirm you’re dealing with the legal urban owner before any agreement or payment.
  • Unlike a 7/12, a Property Card carries no agricultural/crop data — because urban land, by definition, isn’t classified for cultivation.

Reading time: 7 min | Last updated: July 2026 | By Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

A Property Card, called Malmatta Patrak in Marathi, is the official ownership record for land and buildings within Maharashtra’s urban municipal limits — the city equivalent of the rural 7/12 extract. Where a 7/12 tracks agricultural land by Survey Number and Talathi jurisdiction, a Property Card tracks urban land by CTS Number under the City Survey Office. If you’re buying a plot, flat, or commercial unit inside any municipal council or corporation area in Maharashtra, the Property Card — not the 7/12 — is the record that legally matters.

What a Property Card Contains

A Property Card is a structured document with several distinct fields, all of which a buyer or lender should review line by line:

Field What It Tells You
CTS Number (City Survey/City Town Survey No.) The unique identifier for the plot under the City Survey system — equivalent to a Survey/Gat number in rural areas.
Owner’s Name(s) Current legal owner(s) as per government records; check this matches your seller exactly.
Area Plot area in square metres, as measured during City Survey.
Tenure Type Freehold, leasehold, or occupancy class (Class I / Class II) — leasehold and Class II land carry transfer restrictions.
Encumbrances Mortgages, charges, court attachments, or other claims registered against the property.
Mutation Entries A running log of ownership changes — sales, inheritance, gift, partition — each referencing the transaction that caused it.
Ward/Zone/Village Reference Administrative location within the municipal corporation or council.

What’s Missing Compared to a 7/12

A Property Card does not carry the crop/cultivation column (Column 12) or “Other Rights” agricultural tenancy entries that appear on a 7/12. That’s intentional — a Property Card exists for land that is administratively urban, where agricultural cultivation status is not the relevant legal question. Instead, the Property Card focuses on ownership clarity and encumbrance disclosure, which matters more for construction, sale, and mortgage purposes.

Property Card vs 7/12: Side-by-Side

Feature 7/12 Extract Property Card
Applies to Rural / agricultural land Urban land within municipal limits
Maintained by Talathi (village revenue officer) City Survey Office
Identifying number Survey No. / Gat No. / Hissa No. CTS Number
Crop/cultivation data Yes (Column 12) No
Mutation process e-Ferfar via Talathi City Survey Office mutation entry
Primary online portal mahabhulekh.maharashtra.gov.in mahabhumi.gov.in / mumbaicity.gov.in

If you want the fuller mechanics of reading a 7/12 line by line, we’ve covered that separately in our complete 7/12 extract guide.

How to Obtain or View a Property Card Online

For Mumbai Suburban District and Most Other Districts

  1. Visit mahabhumi.gov.in, the Maharashtra Department of Land Records’ portal.
  2. Navigate to the Property Card / Malmatta Patrak lookup section for your district.
  3. Select district, taluka, and either village/ward or directly enter the CTS number.
  4. Search — the record displays owner name, area, and CTS details. A digitally signed copy can typically be downloaded for a nominal fee.

For Mumbai City District

  1. Visit mumbaicity.gov.in, the official Mumbai City district administration portal.
  2. Locate the Property Card / land records section (Mumbai City has a separate Collector’s office and record system from Mumbai Suburban).
  3. Search by CTS number, ward, or division.
  4. Download or request a certified copy through the City Survey Office if the online copy isn’t sufficient for your transaction (banks and registrars often want a certified copy for high-value deals).

In Person

You can also apply directly at the local City Survey Office / Superintendent of Land Records office with your CTS number, old survey number (if converting), or address details. This is often necessary if the online record shows a discrepancy or the property was only recently surveyed.

Why the Property Card Matters for Buyers

  • Confirms legal ownership. The name on the Property Card must match your seller’s identity documents exactly — mismatches (a deceased owner still listed, a name from an incomplete inheritance mutation) are red flags.
  • Reveals encumbrances upfront. Existing mortgages or charges show here before you commit funds — always cross-check against an Encumbrance Certificate from IGR Maharashtra as a second layer.
  • Confirms tenure type. Leasehold land (common in old Mumbai chawls, MHADA layouts, and some redevelopment plots) carries transfer restrictions a freehold buyer wouldn’t face.
  • Required for loans. Banks will not sanction a mortgage on urban property without a current Property Card matching the applicant’s name.
  • Essential during 7/12-to-Property Card transitions. As Maharashtra converts more peri-urban villages into municipal limits, buyers in growth corridors need to confirm whether a plot’s authoritative record is now the Property Card, not the old 7/12.

“Buyers still walk into deals assuming a 7/12 extract is proof enough, even when the land is sitting inside a municipal limit. If the plot is urban, the Property Card is the record that governs the transaction — not the old rural extract. Always match the CTS number, not just the name, before you sign.” — Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Common Issues to Watch For

Issue Why It Matters
Owner name mismatch after inheritance Mutation may not be updated; legal heirs may not all be reflected as co-owners.
Old CTS number vs re-surveyed CTS number Some areas have been re-surveyed, changing CTS numbers; confirm you’re viewing the current number.
Leasehold expiry approaching Leasehold Property Cards should state lease tenure; check remaining years before buying.
Pending mutation entries A sale in progress but not yet mutated can create temporary ownership ambiguity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Property Card in Maharashtra?

A Property Card (Malmatta Patrak) is the official urban land ownership record maintained by the City Survey Office, showing CTS number, owner details, area, tenure, and encumbrances for land within municipal limits.

How is a Property Card different from a 7/12 extract?

A 7/12 extract covers rural/agricultural land and is maintained by the Talathi; it includes crop and cultivation data. A Property Card covers urban land, is maintained by the City Survey Office, and has no agricultural columns.

Where can I check my Property Card online?

For Mumbai Suburban and most other Maharashtra districts, use mahabhumi.gov.in. For Mumbai City district specifically, use mumbaicity.gov.in.

What is a CTS number?

CTS stands for City Survey/City Town Survey Number — the unique plot identifier used in the Property Card system, equivalent to the Survey/Gat number used in rural 7/12 records.

Does a Property Card show if the land is mortgaged?

Yes, encumbrances such as mortgages and charges are recorded on the Property Card, but buyers should always cross-verify with an Encumbrance Certificate from IGR Maharashtra as an independent check.

Is a Property Card enough proof of ownership on its own?

It is strong evidence but should be paired with title deed verification, an Encumbrance Certificate, and (for larger transactions) a lawyer’s title search — no single document is fully conclusive on its own.

Can I get a Property Card for agricultural land?

No. Property Cards apply only to land within municipal council or corporation limits. Agricultural land outside these limits continues to use the 7/12 system.

What happens if my village recently got merged into a municipal corporation?

Once City Survey is completed for your area, your land’s record will migrate from 7/12 to Property Card, and you’ll be assigned a CTS number in place of your old survey number.

Who do I contact if my Property Card details are wrong?

Approach the local City Survey Office / Superintendent of Land Records with supporting documents (sale deed, inheritance papers, prior mutation records) to request a correction.

Citations & Sources

Related Reading

Buying Urban or Peri-Urban Property in Maharashtra?

THE EDGE Developments verifies Property Card, CTS number, and encumbrance status on every land recommendation before you commit a rupee. Reach out before you sign.

connect@theedgedevelopments.com | Phone: +91-9664662938

Maharashtra government land record reform concept
CategoriesLand Investment

7/12 to Property Card: Maharashtra’s 2026 Land Record Reform Explained

By Girish Chhalwani,
Home › Land Investment › 7/12 to Property Card: Maharashtra’s 2026 Land Record Reform
Key Takeaways

  • Maharashtra’s Revenue Department, under Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, is converting 7/12 (Satbara) extracts to Property Cards for land in villages absorbed into municipal council or corporation limits via boundary expansion.
  • The trigger is administrative, not physical: once a village’s land falls inside a municipal boundary and City Survey (nagar bhumi mojani) is complete, the 7/12 extract for that survey number is discontinued and replaced by a Property Card.
  • The record-keeping office changes from the Talathi (village revenue officer, 7/12 system) to the City Survey Office / Superintendent of Land Records (Property Card system).
  • Landowners do not need to apply for the conversion — it happens through government-driven City Survey and record migration, but owners should verify their new Property Card details once issued.
  • If your land is mid-conversion, both documents may temporarily coexist or show conflicting status — this is the highest-risk window for buyers and should be checked carefully before any transaction.
  • The reform is being rolled out area-by-area as City Survey work is completed, not as a single statewide cutover date.

Reading time: 7 min | Last updated: July 2026 | By Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Maharashtra is phasing out the 7/12 extract for any land that falls inside a municipal council or municipal corporation boundary, replacing it with a Property Card once City Survey of that area is complete. This is not a cosmetic renaming — it is a jurisdictional shift. The 7/12 extract is a rural/agricultural revenue record maintained by the Talathi under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. A Property Card (Malmatta Patrak) is an urban record maintained by the City Survey Office. When a village’s boundary is absorbed into a nagar parishad or mahanagarpalika through a government notification, the land inside it eventually stops being tracked on the 7/12 register and moves permanently to the Property Card register instead.

What Triggered This Reform

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced in 2026, with backing from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, that 7/12 extracts would no longer be treated as the operative record for properties in villages merged into municipal corporation or municipal council limits. The stated rationale: once a village comes under urban limits, land use on the ground gradually shifts from agricultural to non-agricultural (NA) or residential/commercial use. Maintaining two overlapping record systems — a rural revenue record and an urban property record — for the same urbanising land creates confusion, slows down loan approvals, and leaves gaps that enable fraud (double records, mismatched ownership entries, disputes over which record is authoritative).

The Core Trigger: Boundary Expansion + Completed City Survey

Two conditions must both be met before a survey number’s 7/12 is discontinued:

Condition What It Means
Municipal boundary expansion notified The village or gaothan has been formally brought inside a municipal council/corporation limit by a state government notification (this can happen years before record conversion).
City Survey (nagar bhumi mojani) completed The Land Records Department has re-measured and re-mapped the area under City Survey rules, assigning CTS (City Survey/City Town Survey) numbers in place of, or alongside, the old survey/gat numbers.

Only once City Survey is complete for a given village or pocket does the Revenue Department formally discontinue 7/12 issuance for that area and shift records to the Property Card register. This is why the rollout is uneven — some villages absorbed into municipal limits years ago still show 7/12 extracts because City Survey hasn’t been completed there yet.

What Changes for Landowners

Different Document, Different Numbering

Your land will no longer be identified by Survey Number/Gat Number (7/12 system) but by a CTS Number (City Survey Number) once conversion is complete. The Property Card carries different fields than a 7/12 — it does not have the crop/cultivation columns (Column 12) that a 7/12 has, since agricultural-use tracking becomes irrelevant once land is urban.

Different Office, Different Process

Aspect Before (7/12 system) After (Property Card system)
Record-keeping office Talathi / Tehsildar office City Survey Office / Sub-Registrar of Land Records
Mutation process e-Ferfar mutation via Talathi Mutation entry via City Survey Office records
Online lookup bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in (7/12) mahabhumi.gov.in Property Card module (Mumbai Suburban) or mumbaicity.gov.in (Mumbai City); other districts via respective City Survey portals
Identifying number Survey No. / Gat No. / Hissa No. CTS Number (City Survey Number)

Timeline: No Single Cutover Date

There is no statewide “switch-off” date for 7/12 extracts. The government has said formal orders will be issued area by area as City Survey work is completed in each municipal council or corporation. Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nagpur, and other rapidly urbanising municipal limits are among the priority areas because large tracts of formerly rural villages have already been absorbed into their boundaries. Expect the reform to roll out over several years, not overnight.

How to Check If Your Village or Plot Is Affected

  1. Check municipal boundary status: Confirm with the local Gram Panchayat, Municipal Council, or Corporation office whether your village/gaothan has been formally merged into the urban local body’s limits.
  2. Check City Survey status: Visit the local City Survey Office (or ask your Talathi) whether nagar bhumi mojani has been completed for your survey number.
  3. Try both lookups online: Search your survey number on bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in for a 7/12. If it no longer returns a result but a CTS number search on the district’s Property Card portal does, your land has already converted.
  4. Ask for both documents during any transaction: If you are buying or selling land in a peri-urban area near Pune, Thane, Nashik, or similar rapidly expanding municipal limits, request both the 7/12 (or a discontinuation confirmation) and the Property Card status from the seller.

What to Do If Your Land Is Mid-Conversion

This transitional window is where most confusion — and risk — sits. Practical steps:

  • Do not rely on a single document. Pull both the most recent 7/12 and check for any Property Card / CTS number assignment before finalising a purchase or loan application.
  • Verify mutation continuity. Ensure ownership, area, and encumbrance details carried over correctly from the 7/12 to the new Property Card — data migration errors (wrong area, dropped encumbrance entries, mismatched owner names) are common during bulk conversions.
  • Get a certified copy from the City Survey Office once your CTS number is assigned, rather than relying only on an online printout, especially for high-value transactions.
  • Update your bank/loan records. If your land is already mortgaged against a 7/12 reference, inform your lender once the Property Card is issued so their records reference the correct document.
  • Consult a title expert for boundary-area land. Land near a municipal boundary line is exactly the kind of parcel most likely to have mismatched or incomplete conversion records.

“We’ve seen this exact transition play out around Pune and Nashik over the past decade as villages got absorbed into municipal limits. The rule buyers should hold onto: during the conversion window, the safest move is to demand both documents and a City Survey Office confirmation, not just whichever one the seller hands you. A mismatch between the old 7/12 and the new Property Card is where disputes are born.” — Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Why This Matters for Buyers and Investors

For land near expanding municipal limits — a category that covers much of the investment corridor around Pune, Nashik, and Mumbai’s extended metropolitan region — this reform directly affects due diligence. A plot that was agricultural land verified via 7/12 two years ago may already be sitting inside a municipal boundary today, with its record quietly migrating to the Property Card system. Buyers who don’t check current municipal boundary status risk relying on a document that is about to become non-operative, or worse, missing a Property Card that already supersedes the 7/12 they were shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a 7/12 extract and a Property Card?

A 7/12 extract is a rural/agricultural land revenue record maintained by the Talathi, showing survey number, area, ownership, crop details, and encumbrances. A Property Card is the urban equivalent, maintained by the City Survey Office, showing CTS number, ownership, built-up/plot area, and encumbrances, without agricultural columns.

Why is Maharashtra discontinuing 7/12 extracts in some areas?

Because once a village is absorbed into a municipal council or corporation boundary and City Survey is completed, the land is administratively urban. Maintaining a rural revenue record for urbanised land creates duplicate, conflicting records that slow down loans and enable fraud.

Does this apply to all of Maharashtra immediately?

No. It applies only to villages/areas that have been formally merged into municipal council or corporation limits AND where City Survey has been completed. It is being rolled out area by area, not as a single statewide date.

How do I know if my land’s 7/12 has been discontinued?

Check with your local Talathi or City Survey Office, or try searching your survey number on bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in — if no 7/12 result appears and a CTS-based Property Card search on your district’s land records portal does return a result, your land has converted.

Who maintains Property Card records instead of the Talathi?

The City Survey Office, under the Superintendent of Land Records / Settlement Commissioner and Director of Land Records, Maharashtra.

What happens to agricultural land use rights when 7/12 is discontinued?

Once land is inside a municipal limit and converted to Property Card status, it is treated as urban land. Any continued agricultural use does not restore 7/12 status; NA (non-agricultural) conversion formalities may still be required separately for construction purposes.

Can I still get a 7/12 extract for land that has already converted to Property Card?

Generally no — once the Revenue Department formally discontinues 7/12 for that survey number, the City Survey Office’s Property Card becomes the operative record going forward.

Does the CTS number replace the old survey/gat number completely?

Yes, for record-keeping purposes going forward, though the old survey/gat number typically remains referenced in the property’s historical record for continuity and title-chain verification.

Should I worry if I’m buying land near a municipal boundary right now?

Yes — this is precisely the zone where conversion status can be ambiguous. Always check both 7/12 and Property Card/CTS status, and confirm with the local City Survey Office before finalising a deal.

Citations & Sources

  • Maharashtra Revenue Department — Mahabhulekh portal: bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in
  • Maharashtra Land Records / Property Card portal: mahabhumi.gov.in
  • Mumbai City District Property Card records: mumbaicity.gov.in
  • Public reporting on the Bawankule/Fadnavis 2026 announcement covering the Revenue Department’s decision to replace 7/12 with Property Cards in merged municipal areas.

Related Reading

Buying Land Near an Expanding Municipal Boundary?

THE EDGE Developments verifies 7/12, Property Card, and City Survey status before every land recommendation we make. If you’re evaluating a plot in a peri-urban growth corridor, talk to us before you sign anything.

connect@theedgedevelopments.com | Phone: +91-9664662938