Gram Panchayat Property: A-Khata, B-Khata, Gram Kantam and Loans

Gram Panchayat Property: A-Khata vs B-Khata, Gram Kantam and What Lenders Accept (2026)

Last verified 28 Oct 2026 against eswathu.karnataka.gov.in and its FAQ, the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2025 text (enacted; cited as the 2025 Amendment Act on e-Swathu), eaasthi.karnataka.gov.in, lrs.telangana.gov.in, the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act (Act No. 1 of 2025), the AP Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books (Amendment) Act, 2021, registration.ap.gov.in and registration.telangana.gov.in.

A gram panchayat property is a plot or house in a village panchayat area, and a panchayat tax record or "B-khata" on it does not by itself prove ownership. Karnataka's 2025 amendment says this in terms. Tax on an unauthorised property "does not confer any right to regularize violation made, or title, ownership or legal status".

A panchayat property is safe to buy only when three things hold:

1. It sits in an approved layout or a recognised village site (gram kantam).
2. The title deeds form a clean chain.
3. The panchayat record matches those deeds.

This guide does not repeat our patta and khata basics. It covers panchayat plots, the A-khata and B-khata split, and gram kantam.

Panchayat property records at a glance

What is gram panchayat property, and is it legal or illegal?

Gram panchayat property meaning: a property inside a village panchayat's area, assessed for tax by the panchayat rather than a municipality. Searches ask whether it is "legal or illegal". Neither answer fits every case.

Legal and bankable: plots in a layout approved by the planning authority, and houses on recognised village-site land with a clean title chain.

Risky: plots cut out of farmland with no layout approval, often called "panchayat layouts".

Two states say this plainly:

• Telangana. The official LRS FAQ asks whether a layout approved by a gram panchayat without technical approval from DTCP or the development authority is valid. The answer is "No". The FAQ adds that the LRS scheme "is applicable to all Gram Panchayat areas".
• Karnataka. Section 199B, added in 2025, bars the panchayat from issuing a new khata or property ID for building sites unless the layout plan has the planning authority's approval. Outside a local planning area, approval must come from DTCP or an authorised Assistant Director. An official who issues a khata for an "unlawfully formed plot" faces a penalty.

Karnataka: A-khata vs B-khata

In Bengaluru. Deccan Herald's explainer of 17 October 2025 says:

• 'A' khata is for properties that "comply with all statutory regulations". It can be used for building permits, trade licences and bank loans.
• 'B' khata is for "revenue sites carved out of agricultural land, sites on unapproved layouts and flats built without sanctioned plans".
• About 7.5 lakh B-khatas were issued for tax collection. Those properties "are not eligible for building plan approvals", and "most banks, financial institutions refuse loans for them".

B-to-A khata conversion. The Greater Bengaluru Authority runs a conversion scheme. Deccan Herald (16 September 2026) reported:

• The fee began at 5% of guidance value and was cut to 2%. The 2% concession ended on 23 August.
• The scheme covers vacant plots and single-owner buildings. Individual flats and apartment complexes are excluded.
• The property must have an e-khata.
• The scheme "currently has no expiry date".

We found no official order on the fee, so confirm the current fee with the GBA before you apply.

At launch, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the scheme does not regularise unauthorised construction.

How does a B-khata certificate look? A final B-khata has its own ePID. The GBA conversion form asks for the "ePID of the final 'B' khata" (Deccan Herald). Ask the seller for the ePID. The official e-Aasthi portal (eaasthi.karnataka.gov.in) lets you verify issued e-khata records, so check it yourself. Do not rely on a printout.

Karnataka rural: e-Swathu and Form-11B

Village properties in Karnataka are recorded on e-Swathu 2.0 (eswathu.karnataka.gov.in), run by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. The portal offers:

• e-Khata download
• Application status
• Property status check
• A check of e-khata forms and whether the property can be registered

Use the last two before you sign anything.

What the 2025 law says about B-khata in villages. Section 199C lets a panchayat tax buildings and vacant land that break the rules. That includes unconverted land, converted land with an unapproved layout, and buildings without an occupancy certificate. The rules are:

• It covers only property created before the provision began.
• It excludes buildings on government, forest or local-body land.
• The tax is doubled in the first year. The entries sit in a separate register.
• The tax gives no right to regularise, and no title.

Deccan Herald reported in May 2025 that these B-khatas "will also allow owners to sell their properties". Being able to sell is not the same as having good title, or a property a bank will lend on.

From the official e-Swathu FAQ:

• Some Form-11B properties can be transferred and some cannot. The FAQ says a non-transferable Form-11B can be changed to a transferable one under the guidelines.
• Properties created on private land with no registered documents cannot get forms. If a Form-11B was already issued for one, the FAQ tells officials to propose its cancellation.
• All panchayat dues must be paid before a form is issued.

Gram kantam in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

What gram kantam means. Both states use almost the same definition. Andhra Pradesh's 2021 amendment defines "Gramakantam, Gramanatham, Abadi, Village Site" as "the land set apart in a Village, for dwelling and incidental purposes". Telangana's Bhu Bharati Act uses the same words. It is the old village habitation area, which often has no individual revenue survey record.

Andhra Pradesh. The AP Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 33 of 2021) added section 6-A. Any person "claiming ownership of any land in Gramakantam or Non Agricultural Land" may apply to the Tahsildar for a certificate of ownership. The Tahsildar issues it after an enquiry, and only once the records are up to date.

Before you pay, run Prohibited Property Search on registration.ap.gov.in for the exact survey number.

Telangana. The Bhu Bharati Act brings abadi land into the record of rights:

• Section 4(2): a separate record of rights "shall be prepared, updated and maintained for Abadi and Non-Agricultural lands", from a date the government notifies.
• Section 5(9): a sale, gift, mortgage, exchange or partition of abadi land must be registered under the Registration Act, 1908. Mutation follows the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, the Municipalities Act, 2019 or the GHMC Act, 1955.

So in a Telangana village, the panchayat house-tax record changes after a registered deed. Check Prohibited Property on registration.telangana.gov.in, and see our Bhu Bharati guide.

Home loan for gram panchayat property: what to give the lender

Each lender sets its own document list, so get it from the lender's legal panel before you pay an advance. The official records above show what a lender can and cannot rely on:

In every case the lender will also read the title chain and the encumbrance certificate. See chain of title, mortgage and lien checks and our legal opinion guide.

Red flags on a panchayat property

• Only tax receipts. The seller has no registered parent deed.
• "Panchayat layout" with no DTCP or authority approval number.
• A Karnataka panchayat B-khata or Form-11B offered as if it were a clear title.
• A B-khata flat in Bengaluru offered as convertible. Flats are excluded from the GBA scheme.
• Gram kantam land with no ownership certificate (AP), or a chain of unregistered sales.
• The survey number is on a prohibited list. See our prohibited property guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is gram panchayat property legal to buy?

It can be. Check that the layout is approved, the title deeds form a clean chain, and the panchayat record matches them. A panchayat tax entry alone is not proof of ownership.

What is the difference between A-khata and B-khata?

In Bengaluru, A-khata is for properties that meet all rules. It can be used for building permits and bank loans. B-khata is for revenue sites, unapproved layouts and flats without sanctioned plans. It cannot get building plan approval, and most banks refuse loans on it.

Can I get a home loan on gram panchayat property?

It depends on the record and the lender. A property in an approved layout with a clean title is easier to finance. A Bengaluru B-khata is hard to finance: Deccan Herald reports that most banks refuse loans on it. A rural Karnataka property taxed under section 199C is also hard to finance, because the law says that tax gives no title or legal status.

How do I search Karnataka gram panchayat property online?

Use e-Swathu 2.0 at eswathu.karnataka.gov.in. It has a property status check and a check of whether the property can be registered.

What is gram kantam land?

It is the village site land set apart for houses. AP and Telangana law both define it as "the land set apart in a Village, for dwelling and incidental purposes". In AP, owners can apply to the Tahsildar for a certificate of ownership.

For a title search or legal opinion on a gram panchayat, B-khata or gram kantam property, visit legiscore.in.

This article is general information, not legal advice.

Related guides

• DTCP Approved Plot: Meaning and How to Check Approval Online
• NA Plot Meaning: How to Verify an NA or Land Conversion Order
• Unapproved Layout Regularisation: LRS Status State-Wise (2026)