Seven words on your papers: khasra, khatauni, diversion, FAR, mutation and more

Seven words appear on almost every plot's paperwork in Indore: khasra, khatauni, diversion, layout sanction, guideline rate, FAR and setback, and mutation. Most buyers meet them for the first time across a table with a pen already in hand. Here is what each one means in plain language, why it matters to you, and which office the word comes from.

Why the words matter

You cannot check a thing you have never been told the name of. A seller who says "khasra is clear" or "FAR is good here" is making a claim you can only test if you know what the word refers to, which record holds it, and what a good answer looks like. The seven below are not a dictionary. Every one of them names a line in a record that is kept about your plot, and you are entitled to read that line.

1. Khasra (खसरा)

Plain meaning. The number that identifies one parcel of revenue land within a village; in effect, its survey number. The entry against a khasra number records the parcel's area, who holds it, and what the land is being used for.

Why it matters. It is the link between the ground and the paper. The plot you were shown standing in a field and the plot written in the deed should resolve to the same khasra; if they do not, you are being sold one thing and papered with another.

2. Khatauni (खतौनी)

Plain meaning. One landholder's account for one village: every parcel that person holds there, gathered into a single register. You will also hear it called the khata.

Why it matters. Khasra reads a plot; khatauni reads a person. Together they tell you what the seller actually holds in that village, and, just as usefully, what they do not. A seller offering land that does not appear in their khatauni is offering something the record does not say is theirs.

3. Diversion (डायवर्जन)

Plain meaning. The change that converts land recorded as agricultural into land that may be used for something else: a house, a shop, a workshop. Land revenue on the parcel is reassessed for the new use and a premium is paid.

Why it matters. Until diversion has happened, the plot is farmland on the record, however built-up the lane around it looks. And diversion is only the first of three permissions a colony needs; it is not a layout sanction and not a building permission.

4. Layout sanction (नक्शा पास)

Plain meaning. The approved subdivision drawing for a colony: which plots exist, at what size, and which land is road, garden and open space. It carries plot numbers, road widths and the open-space allocation.

Why it matters. A plot that does not appear on the sanctioned drawing does not exist to the authority that sanctioned it. The brochure may show it; the record does not. Ask to see your plot number on the sanctioned drawing, not on the marketing plan.

5. Guideline rate (गाइडलाइन रेट)

Plain meaning. The minimum value the government sets for property in a locality, also called the collector guideline. Stamp duty on your registry is charged on that figure or on the price actually paid, whichever is higher.

Why it matters. It puts a floor under what your registry will cost, whatever price you negotiate. It is also a public reading of what a locality is held to be worth, and a useful check against a seller's account of the neighbourhood.

6. FAR and setback (कितना बने, और कहाँ तक)

Plain meaning. FAR, the floor area ratio, is the total built floor area divided by the plot area: how much you may build. Setback is the open margin you must leave between the building and the boundary: where you may build.

Why it matters. Two plots of the same size can hold very different houses, and this pair of numbers is usually the reason. The permitted figures vary with the plot, the use and the width of the road in front, so "the neighbour built three floors" tells you nothing about your plot until you have read its own figures.

7. Mutation (नामांतरण)

Plain meaning. Getting the new owner's name entered on the revenue record after a sale. Also heard as दाख़िल-ख़ारिज (daakhil-khaarij).

Why it matters. The registry moves the property; mutation makes the record say so. Skip it and the register still names somebody else, which is what a future buyer's advocate will find. Courts have held that a mutation entry by itself neither creates nor extinguishes title: it updates the revenue record, and it does not replace the registered deed. Both are needed, for different reasons.

Where you meet them

The seven words are not abstractions. They sit on a colony's own page: its khasra numbers behind the sign-in, its diversion and layout papers on file, its master-plan zone and the rules that follow from it. Reading them there, before a meeting, is the difference between hearing a word and checking it.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between khasra and khatauni?

Khasra is the parcel register: one number for one piece of revenue land, with its area, holder and use. Khatauni is the holding register: one person's account of every parcel they hold in a village.

What does diversion mean in land records?

The change of a parcel's recorded purpose from agricultural to residential, commercial or industrial, under Section 59 of the MP Land Revenue Code, 1959, with land revenue reassessed for the new use.

What is guideline rate in MP?

The minimum property value the government sets for a locality, published by the Inspector General of Registration and Stamps. Stamp duty is charged on the guideline value or the actual price, whichever is higher.

What is FAR in a building plan?

Floor area ratio: total built floor area divided by plot area. It sets how much you may build. Setback sets the margin you must leave from the boundary. In MP both come from the Bhumi Vikas Rules, 2012 and the local body's permission.

Does mutation prove ownership of land?

No. Courts have held a mutation entry by itself neither creates nor extinguishes title. Ownership passes by the registered deed; mutation updates the revenue record to match it.

Where can I check khasra details online in Madhya Pradesh?

On MP Bhulekh, the state Revenue Department's land-records portal, which publishes the Khasra and Khatauni record of rights.

Where the facts come from. The facts and figures in this post come from verified government sources and verified RERA-registered brokers.

Indori Zameen is a private platform. It is not a government body and is not affiliated with one — always confirm a record with the concerned authority before you commit money.