What is Khata?

In Karnataka — especially Bengaluru — a khata is the record kept by the city corporation or local body that registers a property for property tax in the owner’s name. A khata certificate and khata extract are needed to pay tax, get building approval, take a loan or sell. ‘A-khata’ generally marks fully approved property; ‘B-khata’ marks property with some irregularity, such as unapproved layouts. Bengaluru now issues e-khata online.

In north India, ‘khata’ means a holding account in the land record. In a khatauni or jamabandi, each khata number lists the holders, their shares and every khasra number they hold together. In Punjab and Haryana the owner’s account is called the khewat, and khata or khatauni number refers to the cultivator’s holding.

The two uses share one idea — a ledger page for an owner — but they are different records kept by different offices. A Karnataka municipal khata is not a record of rights, and a north Indian khata number is not a tax account.

Why it matters if you live abroad

If you inherit a flat or plot in Bengaluru, transfer the khata into your name; for village land up north, knowing the khata number lets you pull up the whole family holding at once.