AP Pattadar Pass Books Act 1971 Explained: Complete Guide to Land Records & ROR

A.P. Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971 (As Amended by Act No. 7 of 2023) — Complete Guide

A section-by-section explanation of the Andhra Pradesh Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971 — Recording Authorities, regularization of unregistered transfers, appeals, e-Pattadar Pass Books, and key case law.

Index

1. 1. Introduction & Background
2. 2. Recording Authorities
3. 3. Duties of Recording Authorities
4. 4. Unique Machine Serial Numbers on Pattadar Pass Book/ID
5. 5. Regularization of Certain Alienations or Transfers (Section 5-A)
6. 6. Appeal Against Section 5-A Orders (Section 5-B)
7. 7. Sada Bairama (Plain Paper Sale Deeds)
8. 8. Amendment & Maintenance of ROR
9. 9. Registering Authority's Duty to Verify Pass Book (Section 6)
10. 10. Appeal & Revision (Section 9)
11. 11. Loss of Pattadar Pass Book (Rule 31)
12. 12. Loss of Title Deed (Rule 31(2))
13. 13. Mutilated Title Deeds
14. 14. Key Legal Facts Emerging from the Act
15. 15. Cases Where No Pass Book Is Issued
16. 16. Cases Requiring Incorporation in Revenue Records
17. 17. Guidelines on Issuance of e-Pattadar Pass Book
18. 18. ROR – Mutation Process
19. 19. Important Case Laws
20. 20. Conclusion

1. Introduction & Background

Before this Act came into force, only the Telangana region of undivided Andhra Pradesh had a statutory Record of Rights, created under the A.P. (Telangana Area) Record of Rights in Land Regulation, 1358 Fasli. The Andhra region had no equivalent law — record-keeping there ran purely on executive instructions contained in the Board Standing Orders (B.S.Os.), with no statutory backing.

To fix this gap and bring one uniform system across the whole state, the Andhra Pradesh Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971 (Act 26 of 1971) was enacted. With its commencement, the earlier Telangana Regulation and all standing orders governing Records of Rights anywhere in the state stood repealed.

Key dates and amendments

• The Act came into force on 15-08-1978, rolled out across the state in 4 phases.
• Act 11 of 1980 and Act 1 of 1989 amended the original law.
• Act 1/1989 specifically enabled updating of the Record of Rights under Section 3(1) and regularization of unregistered transfers/alienations under Section 5-A.
• The Act was further amended by Act No. 7 of 2023.

The entire updating exercise is meant to run through 6 Grama Sabhas, with advance intimation to villagers at each stage, and built-in opportunities for people to raise objections or point out omissions before anything is finalized.

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2. Recording Authorities

The following functionaries are notified as "Recording Authorities," responsible for conducting village-level enquiries through Grama Sabhas:

1. Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO)
2. Deputy Tahsildar
3. Senior Assistants
4. U.D. Revenue Inspectors

Test Check Officers: Special Deputy Collector / MRO, as applicable.

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3. Duties of Recording Authorities

• Prepare a Basic Register in Form I for every village, based on the Pahani/Permanent Register (the earlier ROR), the R.S.R. (Setwar), and the 10(1) Account (Chowfasla) for each survey number and sub-division.
• The Act applies only to agricultural land — it excludes land used exclusively for non-agricultural purposes and land belonging to State/Central Governments, but does include horticultural land.
• Joint pattas held by a Hindu Joint Family are not split unless the family requests it in writing; the Recording Authority must enquire into each joint pattadar's share as per the relevant Rules.
• Registry changes arising from sale, gift, etc., through registered documents are processed where there's no dispute — but the full chain of registered documents must be verified first.
• Disputed cases are referred to the MRO after confirming the ROR of that village.

No orders can be passed contrary to (Rule 9(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

1. The A.P. Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973 / Urban Land Ceiling Act, 1976
2. The A.P. Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977 (with retrospective effect)
3. The A.P. (Andhra Area) Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1956

After the enquiry, the Recording Authority passes orders registering claimants' names for tenancy, mortgage, and occupancy claims that are undisputed, notes remarks in the claim and 2A Register, and completes the Fair ROR in Form I for publication and public reading in the village (Rule 9(2)).

Publication & extraction process

• Completion of the updated Record of Rights for a village is notified in the District Gazette (Form IV) and in the village, per Rule 5(2).
• Within 7 days of Form IV's publication, the Tahsildar recasts the ROR into Form I, cross-checks records from the Tahsildar's office, Registrar's office, and banks into Form I-B, and authenticates entries for each person (Rule 14A(i)).
• Extracts are then prepared for each person and delivered against acknowledgment in Form XVII — described as the "final opportunity" for the ryot to check the record.

Pattadar Pass Book structure (4 parts)

Parts	Applies to
Parts I & IV	Owner-pattadars who do not personally cultivate
Parts I & II	Owner-pattadars who cultivate themselves
Part III	Tenants and mortgagees

While the procedure covers tenants, mortgagees, and occupants of Inam lands, pass books for these categories have historically not been issued and remain pending.

Delivery of pass books

• Pass Books and Title Deeds are handed over at the Grama Sabha, under the Tahsildar's direct supervision, with acknowledgment taken in Form XVII (Rule 14(A)(2)).
• Cost: ₹15 each for the Pass Book and the Title Deed, to be remitted to the Treasury under the correct head of account.
• Entries must be reflected in village records like Adangal/Pahani with proper legal basis (CCLA No. ROM/ROR1/425/2007, dated 15-08-2007).
• For assigned lands, a remark — "assigned land – alienation prohibited" — must be stamped in the Remarks column to prevent illegal alienation (same CCLA reference).
• Pass Books/Title Deeds for land-poor assignees are to be issued free of cost (G.O.Ms.No. 1183, Revenue, dated 14-10-2008).

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4. Unique Machine Serial Numbers on Pattadar Pass Book / ID

• All issued pass books are to be recalled and affixed with a unique serial number made up of: District Code + Division Code + Mandal Code + Village Code + Serial Number for each pattadar.
• New pass books being issued can adopt this numbering straightaway.
• For pass books already issued, camps can be held in villages (in campaign mode) on notified dates, calling pattadars to bring their documents for affixing the unique number.
• Purpose: enables mutation and record updates, and helps identify and cancel bogus pass books issued earlier.
• All Collectors in the state (except Hyderabad) were directed to implement this numbering system (CCLA No. ROM/ROR-1/425/2007, dated 15-08-2007).

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5. Regularization of Certain Alienations or Transfers of Lands (Section 5-A)

Section 5A allows regularization of an alienation/transfer made through an instrument other than a registered document, for a person recorded as an "occupant" in the ROR. Rule 22 extends this to persons recorded as occupants in the Adangal or an earlier-prepared ROR too.

Filing process

• Claims for regularizing unregistered sale/gift deeds are filed in Form X, and entered in a separate register, Form X-A, for each village.
• The alienee/transferee must file Form X on or before 31-12-2023, per the notification under sub-rule (1), addressed to the MRO (G.O.Ms.No.583, dated 18-08-2022).

Eligibility conditions (all three must be satisfied)

1. The alienation/transfer took place before 1-11-2021, and does not concern agricultural land located in urban areas (Mandal HQs, District/State HQs, Municipalities, Municipal Corporations, Urban Agglomerations).
2. The alienation/transfer concerns agricultural land in rural areas.
3. The transferee/alienee is a small or marginal farmer.

Definitions

Category	Land holding limit
Small Farmer	Up to 2.5 acres of wet land, or 5 acres of dry land
Marginal Farmer	Up to 1.25 acres of wet land, or 2.5 acres of dry land

The provision does not apply to alienations/transfers made in contravention of the laws listed in the proviso to Section 5-A(2) — i.e., the same three restricted Acts noted in Section 3 above (G.O.Ms.No. 77, Revenue, dated 25-01-2008; G.O.Ms.No. 1445, Revenue, dated 05-12-2008).

Verification & enquiry

• Claims are verified against the occupant's column of the Pahani and the previous ROR Register.
• If the claimant's name appears in the connected records, Form XI (notice to the alienor/transferor) and Form XII (notice to all interested persons) are served/published, fixing the place, date, and time of enquiry — asking parties to appear with connected records and proof.
• A regular enquiry under the ROR Act's provisions must be completed before accepting the claim for regularization — i.e., before referring the intimation to the Sub-Registrar.
• If the MRO is satisfied there's no contravention of Rule 9 or Section 3, he can direct the alienee/transferee to deposit, via challan, an amount equal to the registration fee and stamp duty that would have applied had the transfer been by a registered document under the Indian Registration Act, 1908 — fixed by the Registering Officer on a reference made in Form XIII-A, based on the property's assessed value, within one month (Rule 22(5)(ii)).
• On deposit, a certificate in Form XIII-B is issued to the claimant, with details in Form XIII-C (3 copies) — one copy going to the Sub-Registrar and the concerned Recording Authority, for entries under proper attestation by the Tahsildar in Forms I & I-B.
• The Pattadar Pass Book and Title Deed are then issued in Forms XIV-A & XIV-B.

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6. Appeal Against Section 5-A Orders (Section 5-B)

1. An appeal against a Tahsildar's order under Section 5-A(4) lies to the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), within 30 days of communication of the order. The RDO, after due enquiry, passes such order as deemed fit.
2. The RDO may also call for the record suo-motu to inspect whether the order/proceedings taken are regular, legal, and proper, and pass a suitable order.
   • Condition: no order affecting parties' rights can be made without giving them notice and a hearing.
   • Such orders, subject to revision under Section 9, are final (A.P. Act 20 of 2011, effective 24-01-2012).

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7. Sada Bairama (Plain Paper) — Sale Deeds

On the appointed day (or an adjourned date), the MRO hears the parties, examines their documents and witnesses, and takes further evidence as needed to satisfy himself the alienation/transfer does not contravene Rule 9(1)(a)(iv), before completing the enquiry.

Explanation: The MRO should also conduct local enquiry and gather corroborative evidence from neighboring ryots and village elders (G.O.Ms.No.772, Revenue, dated 24-06-2008).

Guidelines regulating unregistered sale deeds (Sada Bainama) were issued on 28-09-2022 and later amended.

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8. Amendment & Maintenance of ROR

• Rules 18, 19, 20, and 21 govern how rights acquired after the Record of Rights is completed/updated — through ownership, possession, occupation, or otherwise — are recorded.
• A right may accrue by succession, survival, inheritance, partition, purchase, mortgage, gift, lease, or otherwise, and may vest in a person as owner, pattadar, mortgagee, occupant, or tenant.
• Such accrual must be intimated to the Recording Authority within 90 days.
• After enquiry, the Recording Authority passes orders and communicates them to all concerned persons.

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9. Registering Authority's Duty to Verify Pass Book (Section 6)

The Registering Authority cannot register any document without production of the Pass Book by both parties, and must make an entry of the transaction in the Pass Book under his signature and seal.

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10. Appeal & Revision (Section 9)

• An appeal against an order of the Recording Authority lies to the RDO, within 60 days of communication of the order, under Section 5(5) of the Act and Rule 21(1).
• A further revision lies before the Collector, under Section 9 of the Act and Rule 23.

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11. Loss of Pattadar Pass Book (Rule 31)

The Tahsildar can issue a duplicate Pattadar Pass Book on collection of the prescribed fee, under sub-rule (2) of Rule 26, on an application accompanied by a photo, with a corresponding entry made in the I-B Register.

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12. Loss of Title Deed (Rule 31(2))

1. Loss of the Title Deed must be notified to the police, credit agencies, and the RDO.
2. The loss must be published in local newspapers, with copies sent to the RDO and other connected officers.
3. The holder must execute an indemnity bond protecting the government and credit agencies for up to one year, so it cannot be misused by others.
4. The RDO issues a duplicate Title Deed on collection of ₹1,000, and causes corresponding entries in the I-B Register.

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13. Mutilated Title Deeds

• For replacement of a mutilated Title Deed, the RDO must obtain the Collector's permission, then issue a duplicate after collecting a fee of ₹100.
• The mutilated copy must be destroyed, with necessary entries made in the I-B Register.

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14. Key Legal Facts Emerging from the Act

• A Pass Book can now be issued by the Tahsildar suo-motu, whereas earlier it could only be issued on application.
• Entries in the Pass Book may be corrected by the MRO suo-motu or on application.
• A Pattadar Pass Book cannot be issued to a pattadar who is not in possession of the land.
• In a Joint Family, the photo of the "Karta" (eldest son) should be affixed.
• Transfer of registry cannot be effected on the basis of adverse possession claimed for more than 12 years merely because the person's name appears in column 15 of the ROR as occupant.
• Pattadar Pass Books are issued taking the village as the unit; but when categorizing someone as a small/marginal farmer, all their holdings across the district are considered together.
• Conveyance and gift deeds must be registered.
• A partition deed need not be registered, but it must be properly stamped as per Article 40 of Schedule IA of the Stamp Act.
• 38-E Protected Tenants are not owners in the absence of an Ownership Certificate.
• Adverse possession must be declared/decreed by a Court — it cannot simply be assumed administratively.
• Evacuee Property vests in the Central Government, so this Act does not apply to it.
• Assigned lands auctioned by co-operative banks for loan realization: the sale certificate is valid and eligible for a pass book (per the explanation under Section 2(1) of the POT Act).
• If civil courts auction assigned lands and issue a sale certificate, no pass book is to be issued to the auction purchaser (Section 3(4) of the POT Act).
• A Power of Attorney holder is not the pattadar — the photo of the actual owner must be affixed.
• No ROR needs to be prepared for lands taken under the Estate Abolition Act, unless Ryotwari Pattas have been granted.
• For a Minor, the guardian's case requires the photo of the minor to be affixed in the Pass Book.
• Mutation cannot be rejected merely on the ground that the sale deed was executed outside the State.
• Mere mutation of name in Revenue Records does not confer any right, title, or interest, in the absence of a real underlying transaction.
• Revenue Courts have no power/jurisdiction to decide title conclusively.

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15. Cases Where No Pass Book Is Issued

1. State Government and Central Government lands.
2. Non-agricultural lands.
3. Lands acquitted (i.e., lands released from a claim/proceeding).
4. Escheated lands.
5. Evacuee property.
6. Lands purchased through Courts.

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16. Cases Requiring Incorporation in Revenue Records

1. Court decrees regarding acquisition of title.
2. Adverse possession declared by Courts.
3. After the demise of a pattadar — succession, survivorship, etc.
4. Partition of property, provided it is properly stamped.
5. Purchase through plain paper, not regularized under Section 5-A of the Act.

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17. Guidelines on Issuance of e-Pattadar Pass Book (e-PPB)

The detailed procedure is available in a user manual on the Webland home page for Tahsildars. Summary of the guidelines:

I. Types of Services

1. e-Passbook Replacement — for applying for replacement of an old Pattadar Passbook.
2. e-Passbook Duplicate — for a duplicate in case of loss or damage.
3. Mutation + e-Passbook — for applying for a new passbook following a mutation.

II. Process in Webland

The step-by-step procedure is available as a presentation on the Webland home page, for all Tahsildars.

III. Steps Before Tahsildar Approves a PPB

1. Go to the PPB Dashboard and open "All the MeeSeva Mutation PPB Pending Requests for Accept/Reject" to see pending Mutation IDs.
2. Download and verify documents submitted by the MeeSeva kiosk operator (up to 4 documents/screens).
3. Verify pattadar details via "View Pahani."
4. Verify Khata Number particulars via "View ROR."
5. Verify photo and other details via "PPB Holder Details."
6. Check all details to be printed via "PPB Land Details."
7. After thorough verification, the Tahsildar approves the request and signs digitally.
8. Once approved, the passbook becomes available for printing and dispatch.
9. Printed e-PPBs go to the Tahsildar Office for verification and VRO signature.
10. After verification, the passbook is handed to the applicant.
11. The Tahsildar should approve an e-Passbook request only after the previously issued Pattadar Passbook's numbers are entered/surrendered in Webland.

IV. Handling Errors Before Printing

Common errors: mistakes in photographs or signatures. The printer pushes flagged errors back through MeeSeva → Webland, where a provision exists (in the PPB/MeeSeva dashboard) to re-upload the correct photo/signature.

V. Handling Errors After Printing

1. Photograph errors: The Tahsildar is responsible for checking the pattadar's photo against the ROR I-B record (where Aadhaar-seeded).
2. If not Aadhaar-seeded, the Tahsildar should verify using the VRO/RI enquiry report before approving — VRO/RI must collect the pattadar's photo during the enquiry.
3. It is the Tahsildar's responsibility to verify photo and signatures on the Pattadar Dashboard before approval; if approved without proper verification and an error surfaces after printing, the Tahsildar must apply for the replacement e-passbook service.
4. Further details are available at the local MRO Office.

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18. ROR – Mutation Process

Guidelines for disposing mutation applications were communicated by the CCLA (ref. No.L.R.11/ROR-11/144/2021, dated 09-04-2022) and must be strictly followed by all Revenue functionaries.

Categories eligible for the Section 22-A prohibitory list (Registration Act, 1908)

Clause	Category
22A(1)(a)	Assigned lands
22A(1)(b)	Government-owned lands
22A(1)(c)	Endowment/Wakf lands
22A(1)(d)	Land-ceiling-declared lands
22A(1)(e)	Lands where the government has an unestablished claim

(CCLA's Memo No. Assn.-1(1)/403/2022, dated 18-08-2022)

Authority to place/remove land in the prohibitory list

Clause	Authority
22A(1)(a), (b), (d)	District Collector
22A(1)(c)	Commissioner of Endowments or CEO, Wakf Board
Government claims (unestablished)	The Government itself

(CCLA's Memo No. Assn1(1)401/2022, dated 30-06-2022)

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19. Important Case Laws

• G.O.Ms.No.-1142, Revenue, dated 18-6-1954 — since the Act's provisions don't apply to lands assigned before 1954, such sold lands can be registered and Pattadar Pass Books issued (Boya Ramappa & Another v. Joint Collector & Addl. District Magistrate, Anantapur, 2017 (2) ALD 214 = 2017 (2) ALT 237).
• Suo-motu correction time limit: Authorities cannot correct revenue entries suo-motu after 37 years — doing so, without notices or proper enquiry, effectively strips away the recorded party's property rights (Chavali Anilaja & others v. Collector, Ranga Reddy District, 2017 (3) ALT 177 = 2017 (3) ALD 491).
• Power to order corrections: Once the Tahsildar exercises power under Section 3 of the Act and makes entries, only the District Collector — under Section 9's revisional power — can order any correction beyond clerical errors. Neither the Tahsildar nor the RDO has this power (Challa Kodanda Ram (3), W.P.No.2913 of 2015, decided 12-2-2015; Para 4, 2015 (2) ALT 526).

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20. Conclusion

The A.P. Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971 remains the backbone of land-record administration across the state — establishing who is recorded as owner, tenant, mortgagee, or occupant of agricultural land, and how those records can be updated, corrected, or challenged. With the 2023 amendment and continuing digitization through e-Pattadar Pass Books, the process has moved from a purely paper-based system to one integrated with Webland and MeeSeva, while the underlying legal safeguards — enquiry, notice, appeal, and revision — remain intact.

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