Wrong name, share or area in land records (khatauni, jamabandi, 7/12, khasra)? How to get it corrected in India — Tehsildar / SDO application, State-wise law (UP s.38, Rajasthan s.136, MP s.115, Maharashtra s.155, Bihar Parimarjan), appeal and civil court (2026)
Plain State-wise guide for landowners and heirs who find a spelling mistake, wrong father’s name, wrong area or share, wrong plot / khasra number, a missing name, or someone else’s name in the online or paper land record: what these records prove and do not prove, which officer corrects which mistake, the documents to attach, appeals and delays, and what to do when the ‘mistake’ is really an ownership dispute or a forged entry. Educational only — not legal advice. Adhiwakta does not file applications before revenue officers.
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What the land record is — and what it does not prove
Each State keeps a record of rights for agricultural land, under different names: khatauni and khasra (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand), jamabandi (Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar), 7/12 or satbara (Maharashtra), khasra and B-1 (Madhya Pradesh), and other names elsewhere. These entries matter for loans, sale, compensation and schemes. But the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that revenue and mutation entries are for fiscal purposes and do not by themselves create or end ownership — Balwant Singh v. Daulat Singh (1997), Suraj Bhan v. Financial Commissioner (2007), Jitendra Singh v. State of M.P. (2021). So first decide: is this a simple mistake in the record, or a dispute about who owns the land? The route is different.
Common mistakes
Spelling of your name or father’s / husband’s name; wrong area or share between co-owners; wrong khasra / gata / survey number; land type or irrigation entry; an heir left out after a death (that is usually mutation — see our mutation guide); an entry that does not match the registered sale deed or a court decree; errors that crept in when paper records were computerised; and, in serious cases, a forged or manipulated entry in someone else’s name.
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Write in Hindi or English · general guidance, not legal advice
Step 1 — Get the current copy and find where the error came from
Download or obtain a certified copy of the current record from the State land-record portal or the tehsil (for example upbhulekh.gov.in in Uttar Pradesh, apnakhata.rajasthan.gov.in in Rajasthan, mpbhulekh.gov.in in Madhya Pradesh, bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in in Maharashtra, biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in in Bihar). Compare it with older copies, the registered sale or gift deed, earlier mutation orders, consolidation (chakbandi) records, partition orders and the map. Ask the Lekhpal / Patwari / Talathi which entry or order caused the error — this decides whether it is a clerical correction or something that needs a hearing.
Uttar Pradesh — section 38, UP Revenue Code, 2006
An application to correct any error or omission in the map, khasra or khatauni is made to the Tahsildar. The Tahsildar enquires and sends the case with a report to the Sub-Divisional Officer (to the Collector for map corrections), who decides after considering objections and evidence. Anyone aggrieved can appeal to the Commissioner within 30 days of the order. Forged or manipulated entries can be expunged under this section, and the Revenue Inspector may correct undisputed errors in the khatauni or khasra in the prescribed manner. The Code makes clear that this power does not extend to deciding a dispute about title — that needs a proper suit.
Rajasthan — section 136, Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956
The Land Record Officer may correct clerical errors, and errors that the interested parties admit, in the record of rights (jamabandi) or registers, in the prescribed manner. If a Revenue Officer notices an error during inspection, it cannot be corrected without a show-cause notice to the parties. Apply at the tehsil with the copies and proof; where other recorded holders object, the matter becomes a contested proceeding and the officer will decide after hearing.
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Madhya Pradesh (Land Revenue Code, 1959 as amended in 2018): the Sub-Divisional Officer may, on application or on his own, correct a wrong, incorrect or unauthorised entry in land records under section 115, but only after a written report from the Tahsildar and a hearing to all interested parties; correcting an entry older than five years needs the Collector’s written sanction, and where Government interest is involved the case goes to the Collector. The Tahsildar can correct the Bhoo-Adhikar Pustika (section 114-A(3)). Maharashtra (Land Revenue Code, 1966, section 155): the Collector — or an officer such as the Tahsildar acting under his authority — can correct clerical errors and errors admitted by the parties in the record of rights (7/12) and registers; an error noticed on inspection can be corrected only after notice and deciding objections under the disputed-entry procedure.
Bihar and other States
Bihar runs the Parimarjan Plus portal (through biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in) for correcting errors in the digitised jamabandi and for adding jamabandis missing from the online record; you can apply online and track the status. Other States have similar powers in their land revenue laws and many now accept applications online through the tehsil or circle office. Because officers, forms and timelines differ by State, check the current procedure on your State’s revenue portal or at the tehsil before you file.
Documents to attach
A copy of the wrong entry and of older correct entries; your identity proof; the registered sale / gift deed or partition deed; earlier mutation orders; for heirs, the death certificate and family register or legal heir / succession papers; any court decree; the map extract if area or boundaries are wrong; and a short signed application or affidavit stating exactly what is wrong and what the correct entry should be. Keep the acknowledgment or online application number.
If the officer delays or refuses
Follow up in writing and ask for the next hearing date. Many States have Right to Public Services laws with fixed timelines for revenue services (for example the Rajasthan Guaranteed Delivery of Public Services Act, 2011; the U.P. Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2011; the M.P. Lok Sewaon ke Pradan ki Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2010; the Bihar Right to Public Services Act, 2011; the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act, 2015), with an appeal if the service is not given in time. An RTI application can show where the file is. Orders can be challenged by appeal or revision as the State law allows, and unexplained inaction can, in suitable cases, be taken to the High Court under Article 226.
When it is really an ownership dispute or a forged entry
If someone else claims the land, or the entry was changed on the basis of a forged will, sale deed or signature, a correction application alone may not be enough. Ownership is decided by a civil suit for declaration and injunction (Specific Relief Act, 1963, sections 34 and 38) or, for some agricultural land, by the revenue court under the State law. A forged entry can also be reported to the SDM / Collector and the police — forgery and using forged documents (BNS sections 336, 338 and 340; old IPC 463 / 465, 467 and 471) and cheating (BNS section 318, old IPC 420). Time limits apply to suits, so do not wait.
How Adhiwakta can help
We do not file correction applications, appear before revenue officers, or contact anyone for you. Adhiwakta is a facilitation platform, not a law firm. We do not file cases, appear before any authority, or promise any result. Use Ask Adhiwakta to describe your situation for general guidance from an independent advocate, or start with the AI helper to organise your facts and papers. Educational only — not formal legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
- My name is spelt wrong in the khatauni / jamabandi. How do I correct it?
- Apply to the Tahsildar (or the officer named in your State law) with a copy of the wrong entry, your ID and the sale deed or other source document. In UP this is section 38 of the Revenue Code, 2006; in Rajasthan section 136 of the Land Revenue Act, 1956; in Maharashtra section 155 of the Land Revenue Code, 1966. Bihar accepts applications on Parimarjan Plus.
- Does my name in the khatauni or 7/12 make me the owner?
- Not by itself. The Supreme Court has held that revenue and mutation entries are for fiscal purposes and do not create or end title (for example Jitendra Singh v. State of M.P., 2021). Ownership comes from the deed, inheritance or a court decree; the record should follow it.
- Someone else’s name was entered in my land record. What should I do?
- Get certified copies and find the order behind the entry. Object and apply for correction before the revenue officer; if the entry is forged, it can be expunged (in UP under section 38(5)) and reported to the SDM and police. If the other person claims ownership, a civil suit for declaration and injunction may be needed — do not delay because time limits apply.
- How long does land record correction take?
- It varies by State and by whether anyone objects. A clerical error with clear documents is usually faster; a contested entry needs notice and hearing. Many States have Right to Public Services laws with timelines and an appeal if the service is delayed.
- Can I apply for correction online?
- In several States, yes — for example Bihar’s Parimarjan Plus for digitised jamabandi. Other States accept online applications through their revenue or e-district portals or at the tehsil. Check your State’s current procedure.
- Is there a limit on correcting an old entry?
- It depends on the State. In Madhya Pradesh, correcting an entry older than five years needs the Collector’s written sanction (section 115 of the Land Revenue Code). Appeals have short limits too — for example 30 days to the Commissioner under section 38(4) of the UP Revenue Code.
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