All You Need To Know About Pattadar Passbook

The Telangana government, recently, made the linking of Pattadar Passbook (PPB) with Aadhaar mandatory. Failing to link could lead to the land being considered as benami.

According to the government orders, the farmers who had been assigned lands should also be given these passbooks. The aim is to introduce a system similar to banks to administer land records. It added that it was a first for any state in the country.

Here is all you need to know about the Pattadar Passbook:

What is Pattadar Passbook?

A PPB is a document type in the form of a small-bound book which contains all details of landowner also known as Pattadar. The PPB is issued by the revenue officials under the Record of Rights Act and is also considered as a proof of ownership. The PPB also has a passport-sized photograph of the landowner along with the signature or the thumb impression for the validation of the ownership. The new edition of the PPB will also have a digital signature of the Tahsildars and would be called as e-title deed-cum-Pattadar passbooks. The PPB can also be used by the farmers to secure agricultural loans from banks which brings down the total processing time to 15 days from 90 days.

The passbook has four sections and contains the following information:

*Land ownership details

*Name of tenants

*Photo identity of the owner

*Details of the loans, mortgages and leases against the land

*Changes in ownership

How can landowners obtain PPB?

A PPB is issued by the Mandal Revenue Office (MRO). Landowners need to apply for the PPB in a prescribed application form. The applicant needs to fill the application form with all details in three copies of the form. Only one copy has to be presented at the MRO or to the revenue inspector.  

These are the documents an applicant needs to attach: 

*Registered sale deed or gift deed

*Tenancy agreement

*Mortgage deed

*Death certificate of the previous owner (if the owner is claiming the ownership by inheritance or succession)

*A copy of registered or unregistered will (in case of succession)

If the landowner has property in more than one village, he has to file a separate application in each village. 

The average time taken for issuing the PPB document by the MRO is one month. During this time the office conducts a thorough verification and enquiry which is a lengthy process.

Once the MRO issues the PPB, it is owner’s responsibility to verify the document and ensure that all the details are correct and accurate. If the issuance is delayed for more than a month, the owner may send a reminder to the MRO or escalate the case to the RDO or Sub-Collector concerned.

Recently, Andhra Pradesh started issuing the PPBs to the farmers in just 15 minutes at the Mee Seva centres at a nominal fee of Rs 25.