Patta transfer: officials asked to digitally process applications

Patta transfer: officials asked to digitally process applications

Dennis S. Jesudasan

CHENNAI. 27.01.2026

The Director of Survey and Settlement has instructed the Collectors and the Assistant Directors of Survey and Land Records not to process manual note files and not to manually approve sub-division statements by Tahsildars.

Instead, they must electronically process applications for online patta transfer for land involving sub-division, not involving sub-division in the rural, urban, and natham formats.

“It is reiterated through this circular that all the processing of OPT-ISD, NISD in Rural, Urban and Natham formats shall be electronically processed using user-logins, and manual note file, sketch, sub-division statement need not be prepared by Survey and Revenue officials during the processing of OPT applications,” the Director said recently.

Earlier, at a meeting of the Assistant Directors of Survey and Land Records, the Director of Survey and Settlement instructed taluk officials not to process manual note files and approve sub-division statements by Tahsildars.

Since December last, the service of Collabland and Tamil Nilam for rural areas has been integrated across the State, except in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, and Tiruvallur districts. Only one taluk each has been integrated in these districts. Online patta transfer is operational across Tamil Nadu in rural, urban, and natham formats, and the patta transfer files are being electronically processed with user-logins. Village Administrative Officers and Zonal Deputy Tahsildars process cases of land not involving sub-division, and firka surveyor, Tahsildar, and other officials process applications for land involving sub-division.

In October 2015, the Director of Survey and Settlement directed that the firka surveyor do the field work and prepare the sub-division sketch as well as a draft sub-division statement within the sketch itself. The manual application from the applicant, manual note file, and manual approval of the sub-division statement by Tahsildars were not required since they were done electronically.