“What is Grama Natham land? How do we check it?” asks Shanmugarajan on the Q&A Forum of Magicbricks. Grama Natham or Natham Patta or Thorya Patta are the real estate terms that property buyers often face in the southern parts of India.

The term Grama Natham was brought into existence in order to define the land that could be used for building houses. It was also created to better differentiate housing sites from government-held land such as Inam land, Ryotwari land, Pannai land and waste land.

The bare and un-utilised land in the outskirts of cities like Chennai is known as Grama Natham. It is a piece of land that actually belongs to no one. There is no legal proof of the ownership of such a land.

Grama Natham land can only be used for residential purposes and not commercial. There is no surrounding social infrastructure and almost negligible scope of development in future.

Grama Natham land is often available at a lower cost especially around the suburbs of Chennai.

Grama Natham

How do we check it?

Check whether your investment is a Grama Natham land, in the following easy steps:

Visit the Tamil Nadu government’s official website
Feed in your locality name and the result page will provide you the information
Click on the ‘verify land ownership’ and know the details about the kind of land

Legal proceedings for buying a land under Grama Natham

Check how was the land acquired? If it was through another sale deed or inheritance, then ask for the documents

You must obtain the extract of the Khata maintained by the Gram Panchayat

Normally if a site is already part of the Grama Natham, then it has been converted for non-agricultural use. If it is in the old and established parts of the village, then there is no need to have a copy of the conversion of land from agricultural to non-agricultural use. However, if it is an extension site, then it is better to obtain this as well

With the above documents, you can draft a Sale Deed and have the sale registered. The registration department issues a citizen’s charter. After registration, you can apply for a Khata in the Gram Panchayat itself, in case it is not part of the Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP).

If the Gram Panchayat has already been absorbed into the BBMP, you can make an application to the BBMP for a change of Khata. It is the BBMP’s duty to take over the property registers of the Gram Panchayats that it absorbs, in order to ensure a smooth transition from one local body to another.

Risks of buying a land under Grama Natham

Buying a Grama Natham land can be risky at times and thus it is often suggested to be avoided.

Here’s why you should re-consider your decision of buying a Grama Natham land –

Private Patta lands are under the revenue records and hence can be considered much easier to own and transact. Purchasing a Grama Natham land can always be a risky investment although legally one can build a house on such a land while enjoying the benefits of lower initial cost.

Grama Natham land may be less liquid when compared to Patta lands, as there are fewer buyers for such properties. If a Grama Natham property is owned by an individual, applying for Patta is still feasible but is not easy to obtain.

It is vital to note that Grama Natham land can never be used for commercial activities. These lands are housing sites and must be actively used by the land owner. If the Natham is unoccupied, it will be classified as Grama Natham.

The ownership of the land is a major concern. If a Patta is attained within the time frame, you may consider your buying decision.

There are long legal proceedings when you buy a Grama Natham land. The duration of this procedure completely depends upon the verified documents of the seller.

Therefore, before buying a Grama Natham land in Chennai, make sure you check all the legal aspects and consider the possible risks related to the property. If not checked properly, your investment may land in trouble.

Sukriti Yaduwanshi