India Real Estate Dictionary

A

1 terms

Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)

General & Places

Also called: AKIC

A planned industrial corridor along the eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Punjab and West Bengal through Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, with influence areas that also take in Uttarakhand and the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh belt in Himachal Pradesh. Nodes proposed in various states aim at manufacturing and logistics, with progress differing by location.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Patiala-based trader hears of an AKIC node in the area and asks the state industries department what is actually notified.

Agent tip: Corridor announcements often come before land acquisition. Check official notifications before acting on a rumour.

B

2 terms

Banjar Land

Land Records

Also called: Banjar Jadid, Banjar Qadim, Barren Land

Uncultivated land in the revenue records of north India, divided into banjar jadid (fallow for a few years, though cultivable) and banjar qadim (fallow for a long time). Both classes are different from land under regular cultivation.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Ambala finds a 5-acre plot listed as banjar qadim and learns that such land is treated as agricultural for the purpose of conversion.

Agent tip: Banjar status does not mean the land is free for development. The same agricultural rules, CLU and master plan checks still apply.

Bayana

General & Places

Also called: Bayana Amount, Advance

A Hindi word for the advance paid by a buyer when agreeing to buy a property. It is normally a part of the sale price and is given with a written receipt or agreement, and may be forfeited if the buyer backs out.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer pays ₹5 lakh as bayana and gets a receipt stating the balance payment date.

Agent tip: Always issue a written receipt stating the property, amount, balance and last date.

C

2 terms

Colony Licence

Approvals

A licence from the town planning department to develop a residential or commercial colony. In Haryana it is issued by the Director, Town and Country Planning (DTCP) under state law.

Legal basis: Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Haryana developer applies for a licence to develop a 15 acre colony and pays external development charges.

Agent tip: Verify the licence number and its validity on the DTCP site.

Consolidation of Holdings

Land Records

Also called: Chakbandi, Chakbandi Records

A government programme that swaps scattered small plots of a farmer to give one or a few compact fields. It is done village by village, with a new map and record, and it is known as chakbandi in north India.

Example & agent tip

Example: After consolidation in a village near Muzaffarnagar, a farmer's four scattered plots become a single block with a new khasra number. Old sale deeds still mention the old numbers.

Agent tip: In a consolidated village, match the old and new numbers through the consolidation records before checking title.

D

2 terms

DTCP

Authorities

The Directorate (or Department) of Town and Country Planning, a state body that grants colony licences, approves layouts and enforces planning laws. In Haryana, it issues licences under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975.

Example & agent tip

Example: A developer in Gurugram applies to the DTCP for a licence to develop a colony.

Agent tip: Ask for the licence number and check it on the DTCP's records.

Related: Colony Licence Approved Layout

Dwarka Expressway

General & Places

A high-capacity road linking Dwarka in Delhi with Gurugram's NH-48 stretch, also called the Northern Peripheral Road. It improved access to the sectors along its route and is widely referred to when discussing Gurugram's western residential belt.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer notes that a Sector 100-plus apartment in Gurugram is a short drive from the Dwarka Expressway and asks how the access road is planned.

Agent tip: Always check the site's actual road access and the sector's licence status; being close to an expressway on a map does not guarantee a usable entry road.

E

2 terms

Evacuee Property

Land Records

Also called: Evacuee Land, Displaced Persons Property

Property in India left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan around Partition and then managed by the Custodian under special laws. Some of it was allotted to displaced persons, and title issues can still be seen in old cases.

Example & agent tip

Example: A shop in an old Amritsar market is described as allotted evacuee property. The buyer asks for the allotment and the sale-certificate trail.

Agent tip: For old city properties in the north, check how the first allottee obtained title. Missing sale certificates cause trouble in resale.

External Development Charges (EDC)

Approvals

Charges collected by the government from colonisers to fund external infrastructure such as roads, water and power for a colony. In Haryana and Punjab, builders pass part of the cost to buyers.

Example & agent tip

Example: A plotted colony's price sheet lists EDC as a separate item.

Agent tip: Check whether EDC is included in the basic price or charged extra, and whether the full amount has been paid to the authority.

F

2 terms

Fard

Land Records

Also called: Fard Jamabandi, Jamabandi Nakal

An extract or copy of the Jamabandi for a particular holding, issued by the revenue department. Buyers often call it a "land ownership certificate", but it is only a record extract and not proof of title.

Example & agent tip

Example: A bank asks for a fard issued within the last three months before it lends against agricultural land.

Agent tip: Ask for a fresh fard on the day of the deal. An old fard may not show a new mortgage or sale.

Related: Jamabandi Khasra Number Intkal

Faridabad

General & Places

A Haryana city south-east of Delhi in the NCR, known for an older industrial base and a growing set of residential sectors and plotted colonies. It falls under Haryana's town-planning and HRERA framework.

Example & agent tip

Example: A small manufacturer in Okhla looks for a house in a Faridabad sector so that his workers and he live near the Delhi border.

Agent tip: In Haryana, check whether a plot is in an approved sector or a licensed colony, as unapproved colonies exist around the city.

G

4 terms

Gair Mumkin

Land Records

Land recorded as not fit for cultivation, such as paths, ponds, wells or village roads, in the revenue records of several northern and western states.

Example & agent tip

Example: A plot marked "gair mumkin" in the Jamabandi cannot be sold for housing without the proper change of status.

Agent tip: Refuse deals on land that shows gair mumkin unless the record has been changed in the proper manner.

Girdawari

Land Records

A record of crops and possession kept by the revenue department in northern states, showing who actually cultivates a field each season.

Example & agent tip

Example: A girdawari shows a tenant farming a plot that the seller claims is empty.

Agent tip: Girdawari helps to confirm who is in possession. A mismatch can signal a dispute.

Gochar Land (Grazing Land)

Land Records

Also called: Gauchar, Charagah, Gomal

Village land set aside for common grazing of cattle, protected as community land by the gram panchayat in most states. Gochar land cannot normally be sold or used for building, and encroachments can be removed.

Example & agent tip

Example: A broker sells a roadside field near Mehsana which the 7/12 shows as gochar. After a complaint, the panchayat removes the fence.

Agent tip: Never buy land recorded for grazing or common use. The panchayat can reclaim it, and the buyer loses the money.

Gurugram

General & Places

Also called: Gurgaon

A major city in Haryana in the National Capital Region, with large residential and commercial development. HRERA Gurugram and the DTCP cover its projects.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer looks at a high-rise in Gurugram and checks HRERA registration.

Agent tip: Check licences, RERA numbers and the project's litigation record. Gurugram has many large projects.

H

2 terms

HRERA

Authorities

The Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority. It regulates projects and agents in Haryana, with offices at Gurugram and Panchkula.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Panchkula buyer complains to HRERA about a delayed project.

Agent tip: Check which HRERA bench covers the district of the project.

Related: RERA Authority DTCP HSVP

How to become a RERA agent in Haryana →

HSVP

Authorities

Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, the former HUDA, which develops and sells residential and commercial plots in Haryana sectors.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Panchkula buyer purchases an HSVP plot through an auction.

Agent tip: HSVP plots have conditions on construction time and transfer. Read the allotment letter.

I

1 terms

Intkal

Land Records

The Punjabi and Haryanvi term for mutation: the entry that records a change of ownership in the revenue record after sale, inheritance or gift.

Example & agent tip

Example: After a registered sale deed in Mohali, the buyer checks that intkal is sanctioned, applying at the tehsil if it is not.

Agent tip: Without intkal, the Jamabandi continues to show the old owner. Punjab's online service now starts intkal after registration, so check that it was completed.

Related: Mutation Jamabandi Tehsildar

J

1 terms

Jamabandi

Land Records

The main record of rights in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. It lists owners, area, field numbers (khasra) and any possession details, and is updated periodically by the revenue department.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Kharar asks for the latest Jamabandi and sees the seller's name along with two co-owners. Unless only the seller's own recorded share is being sold, all three must sign.

Agent tip: Ask for a certified or online copy of the latest Jamabandi. Look for co-owners, mortgages and entries on possession.

K

8 terms

Kabza

General & Places

Also called: Qabza

The Hindi and Urdu word for possession or control of property. In deals it means who is physically holding the property. Sellers should deliver clear kabza, and buyers should ask who occupies it.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer pays an advance but finds the plot is occupied by a relative of the seller who refuses to leave.

Agent tip: Visit the property and ask who holds kabza before paying large sums. Mention it in the agreement.

Kanal

Measurement

Also called: Kanaal

A land unit used in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. One kanal equals 20 marla, or 5,445 sq ft (about 505.86 sq m). Eight kanals make one acre.

Example & agent tip

Example: A one kanal plot is 5,445 sq ft, which is 605 gaj.

Agent tip: Agricultural land and large farmhouse plots in the Tricity are quoted in kanal. Always check the Jamabandi for the exact area.

Related: Marla Acre Jamabandi

Kanoongo

Land Records

A supervisory revenue official above the patwari in Punjab and Haryana. The kanoongo checks records and verifies mutation entries in his circle. The final order may be passed by a higher revenue officer.

Example & agent tip

Example: A kanoongo verifies the patwari's mutation entry before it goes for approval.

Agent tip: Know the hierarchy: patwari, kanoongo, tehsildar.

Related: Patwari Tehsildar Intkal

Khasra Number

Land Records

The number of an individual field or land parcel in the village map and revenue records of states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Example & agent tip

Example: A farm sale lists khasra numbers 24, 25 and 26. The buyer checks each against the village map.

Agent tip: Match each khasra number with the map and the Jamabandi. Missing numbers may mean part of the land is not covered.

Related: Jamabandi Survey Number Shajra

Khatedar

Land Records

Also called: Khatadar, Khatedari Right

A person recorded as the main land-holder of agricultural land in Rajasthan, Haryana and some other states, with rights against the state to hold and farm the land. Tenant farmers who farm another's land may also become khatedars.

Example & agent tip

Example: A farm near Alwar lists three khatedars. The buyer realises all three, and not only the broker's contact, must agree to the sale.

Agent tip: Ask for names of all khatedars from the jamabandi, then ask each to sign. A deed signed by one co-holder is risky.

Khewat and Khatoni

Land Records

Two numbers in north Indian land records. Khewat is the ownership holding number. Khatoni is the cultivation holding, which shows who is working the land.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Jamabandi entry reads "Khewat 45, Khatoni 60". A buyer checks both to see the owner and the cultivator.

Agent tip: When the cultivator is different from the owner, find out whether it is a tenant.

Killa

Measurement

Also called: Ghumaon

A traditional land unit in Punjab and Haryana, about one acre. Farm land is often bought and sold in killas, and the unit also appears in old revenue records and local land deals.

Example & agent tip

Example: A farmer near Rajpura sold two killas of agricultural land to a developer for a plotted colony.

Agent tip: Convert killas to acres or square yards in writing before quoting a price. Local usage can vary slightly.

Related: Acre Murabba Jamabandi

Kothi

General & Places

Also called: Kothi House

A north Indian word for a large independent house, often with a garden and boundary wall, standing on its own plot. In Punjab and Haryana, it usually refers to a house on a sizeable residential plot.

Example & agent tip

Example: A family sells their old kothi in Chandigarh's Sector 8 to a builder who plans to construct builder floors on the plot.

Agent tip: When a client asks for a kothi, confirm plot size, floors permitted and whether it is freehold.

L

2 terms

Lal Dora

Land Records

The boundary of the old inhabited area (abadi) of a village in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Land inside it was exempt from some building and colony rules, but this exemption has been narrowed in many places.

Example & agent tip

Example: A seller offers a house in a village's Lal Dora area without an approved plan. The buyer must check the local authority's rules.

Agent tip: Lal Dora land often lacks sanctioned plans and formal titles. Verify before you quote a price.

Latha (Cloth Map)

Land Records

Also called: Lattha, Masavi

A traditional village map in Punjab and Haryana, historically drawn on cloth, showing every field with its number and shape. Patwaris still use it with the jamabandi to identify a parcel and its neighbours.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Patwari in a Fatehgarh Sahib village spreads out the latha to show a buyer that the plot in the jamabandi sits at the village edge, not beside the canal as the seller claimed.

Agent tip: Ask the Patwari to mark the plot on the latha and sign the copy. It is cheap and settles many location doubts.

M

3 terms

Marla

Measurement

A land unit used in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. One marla equals 272.25 sq ft (about 25.29 sq m), and 20 marla make 1 kanal.

Example & agent tip

Example: A 10 marla house plot is 2,722.5 sq ft or about 302.5 gaj.

Agent tip: When a Tricity buyer says "10 marla", convert it immediately to sq ft or gaj and write it in the quote.

Murabba

Measurement

Also called: Rectangle Number

A rectangular block of farm land used in Punjab and Haryana revenue records, comprising a fixed number of killas. Village maps are drawn in murabbas, and each field is numbered within one.

Example & agent tip

Example: A Jamabandi extract for a village near Ambala listed a plot as a numbered field inside a particular murabba.

Agent tip: To trace a plot, ask the patwari for the murabba and killa number as shown on the village map.

Related: Killa Shajra Jamabandi

Mushtarka Malkan Land

Land Records

Also called: Mushtarka Khata, Joint Khata

Jointly owned land in Punjab and Haryana where the holdings of co-owners are not divided on the ground. The record shows shares, but no co-owner can claim a specific portion without partition.

Example & agent tip

Example: In a Karnal village, five brothers own 20 acres as mushtarka malkan. One brother sells a defined 3 acres, but the others object since the land was never partitioned.

Agent tip: When land is jointly held, the safe route is a registered partition first, or a sale signed by all co-owners.

N

2 terms

Nahri, Chahi and Barani Land

Land Records

Also called: Nehri, Chahi, Barani

The three main irrigation classes of farmland in the revenue records of Punjab and Haryana. Nahri land is watered by canal, chahi by a well or tube well, and barani depends on rain. The class often affects the land's price.

Example & agent tip

Example: Two 5-acre fields near Sirsa are priced differently, since one is nahri with a canal outlet while the other is barani.

Agent tip: Check the class in the jamabandi and compare it with what you see. A field recorded as nahri without an actual outlet may have been wrongly classed.

NCR (National Capital Region)

General & Places

The region around Delhi, covering parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, planned by the National Capital Region Planning Board. It includes Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer compares flats in Noida (UP) and Gurugram (Haryana), which have different RERA authorities.

Agent tip: Each NCR state has its own rules. Always state which one applies.

Related: Gurugram NOIDA HRERA UP-RERA

P

3 terms

Panchkula

General & Places

A planned city in Haryana next to Chandigarh, with numbered sectors. Projects fall under HRERA and the Haryana town planning rules.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer chooses a builder floor in a Panchkula sector.

Agent tip: Quote the sector and check HRERA registration.

Related: Tricity HRERA HSVP

Patwari

Land Records

A village-level revenue official in northern states who maintains land records, field maps and crop entries.

Example & agent tip

Example: A patwari enters a mutation after the tehsildar's order.

Agent tip: In Punjab and Haryana, you may need the patwari for records such as a field map or girdawari.

Related: Kanoongo Tehsildar Girdawari

Periphery Controlled Area

General & Places

Also called: Chandigarh Periphery

A belt of land around Chandigarh where construction and land use are controlled by law to protect the planned capital from unplanned growth. Colonies in it need specific approvals.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer asks whether the plot near the Chandigarh border lies in the periphery area and what approvals apply.

Agent tip: Ask the authority for confirmation of which controlled area rules apply to a plot.

R

1 terms

Registry

General & Places

Also called: Registree

Everyday north Indian word for registering a sale deed at the sub-registrar office. People say "registry ho gayi" to mean ownership has been transferred and registered. It is also used for the registered deed itself.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer in Zirakpur says the registry is fixed for Friday at the sub-registrar office.

Agent tip: Explain that registry is different from mutation. Buyers must also get the land records updated.

S

6 terms

Sarsahi

Measurement

Also called: Sarsai

A small land measure used in Punjab and Haryana, one-ninth of a marla. It is used in revenue records when small plots or fractions of land are recorded precisely.

Example & agent tip

Example: A village record near Kharar showed a sale of a plot of some marlas and a few sarsahi.

Agent tip: When reading old records, convert each unit step by step: killa, kanal, marla and sarsahi.

Related: Marla Kanal Jamabandi

SCF (Shop-cum-Flat)

Property Types

A building type in Tricity sectors where the ground floor has shops and the upper floor has residential flats.

Example & agent tip

Example: An SCF in a Panchkula sector has a shop at ground level and a flat on the first floor.

Agent tip: Verify which floor is residential and which is commercial in the sanctioned plan.

SCO (Shop-cum-Office)

Property Types

A commercial plot or building in Chandigarh and Tricity sectors that combines shops on the lower floors and offices above. SCOs are sold by the authority in auctions or by developers in approved projects.

Example & agent tip

Example: A 4-storey SCO in a Mohali sector has two floors of retail and two floors of office space.

Agent tip: Check the building plan, permitted floors and the authority's allotment conditions before quoting.

Shajra

Land Records

A revenue sketch. Shajra Nasab is a family tree used to show legal heirs for mutation, and Shajra Kishtwar is the field map of a village showing parcels.

Example & agent tip

Example: To mutate inherited land, heirs submit a shajra nasab listing all legal heirs.

Agent tip: Ask for the family tree when title comes by inheritance, and see that every heir signs.

Shamlat Deh

Land Records

Village common land in Punjab and Haryana, used by the community for grazing, ponds and paths. It is vested in the panchayat and cannot be sold by private persons.

Legal basis: Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961, which Haryana also applies with its own amendments.

Example & agent tip

Example: A "plot" sold on shamlat land turns out to belong to the village panchayat.

Agent tip: Check the Jamabandi for the word shamlat. Such land cannot be sold.

Related: Jamabandi Abadi Deh

Sohna Road

General & Places

A Gurugram arterial road from Subhash Chowk towards Sohna, lined with group housing, builder floors and retail. It is a well-known residential micro-market of the city.

Example & agent tip

Example: A family from Faridabad compares a builder floor on Sohna Road with a high-rise flat on Golf Course Extension Road for school access.

Agent tip: Sohna Road has a mix of licensed and older colonies. Ask for the licence number and check the sector or colony record.

T

1 terms

Tricity

General & Places

The urban area made up of Chandigarh (a Union Territory), Mohali (Punjab) and Panchkula (Haryana), together with fringe towns such as Zirakpur and Kharar. Each part has different authorities and rules.

Example & agent tip

Example: A buyer comparing flats in Panchkula and Mohali is dealing with two states, two RERA authorities and different stamp duty.

Agent tip: Always state the state and authority when you quote a Tricity property.

Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)

Banjar Land

Bayana

Colony Licence

Consolidation of Holdings

DTCP

Dwarka Expressway

Evacuee Property

External Development Charges (EDC)

Fard

Faridabad

Gair Mumkin

Girdawari

Gochar Land (Grazing Land)

Gurugram

HRERA

HSVP

Intkal

Jamabandi

Kabza

Kanal

Kanoongo

Khasra Number

Khatedar

Khewat and Khatoni

Killa

Kothi

Lal Dora

Latha (Cloth Map)

Marla

Murabba

Mushtarka Malkan Land

Nahri, Chahi and Barani Land

NCR (National Capital Region)

Panchkula

Patwari

Periphery Controlled Area

Registry

Sarsahi

SCF (Shop-cum-Flat)

SCO (Shop-cum-Office)

Shajra

Shamlat Deh

Sohna Road

Tricity

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