Understanding Patta Number and Dag Number in Assam Land Records

When you buy land in Assam or apply to pay land revenue (e-Khajana) online, you will frequently hear two terms: Dag Number and Patta Number. Many people, especially first-time land buyers, get confused between these two. They often ask: Are they the same thing? If not, what is the difference?

Here I will explain in very simple language what exactly is a Dag number, what is a Patta number, how they differ, and where you can find them on your land documents.

What is a Dag Number?

A Dag Number (also known as Khasra number in other states of India) is a unique parcel identifier or plot number. Think of it like a roll number for your plot of land.

During land surveys, the government maps out every inch of land in a village. To identify each separate plot on the map, they assign a specific number to it. This number is called the Dag number. It helps the land department locate the exact position, boundaries, and size of a specific plot of land on the village map.

The Dag number is tied to the physical location of the land, not to the owner. This means even if you sell the land to someone else, the Dag number stays the same. It only changes if the government re-surveys the village and renumbers the plots, or if the land is officially divided into two smaller plots (in which case each new part gets a new Dag number).

What is a Patta Number?

A Patta Number refers to the land ownership or lease certificate number. While the Dag number identifies the physical plot of land, the Patta number identifies the owner and their lease agreement with the government.

In Assam, the government issues a document called a "Patta" to the landowner, which acts as a legal proof of leasehold or ownership rights. The document contains a unique identification number, which is your Patta number. One Patta can cover multiple Dag numbers if a single person owns different land plots in the same village.

When land is sold and mutation (Namjari) is done, the old owner's Patta is cancelled and a new Patta is issued to the new owner. The Dag number(s) of the land remain the same, but the Patta number changes to reflect the new owner's lease certificate.

Key Differences: Dag Number vs Patta Number

Types of Patta in Assam

In Assam, you will mostly find two types of land Patta:

1. Myadi Patta (Periodic Patta): This is a permanent land lease granted by the government, usually valid for 30 years and automatically renewed. Landowners of Myadi Patta have full rights to transfer, sell, or mortgage their land.
2. Eksonia Patta (Annual Patta): This is a temporary lease granted for one year. Landholders of Eksonia Patta cannot sell or transfer the land to others. To sell it, you must first convert the Eksonia Patta into Myadi Patta by applying at the circle office.

Additionally, in tribal belts and blocks, you may encounter Tribal Patta, which comes with restrictions on transferring to non-tribal citizens. In some government-allotted lands, you may also see Settlement Patta or Patowary Land documents.

How to Find Your Patta and Dag Number?

You can easily find these numbers by looking at your old land documents:

• Land Revenue Receipt (Khajana Rashid): Check your previous physical or online Khajana receipts. The Patta number and Dag number are always printed clearly on the top left or middle section.
• Jamabandi (Record of Rights): Download your Jamabandi copy from the Dharitree portal. It lists all Dag numbers and the current Patta number associated with your land.
• Deed of Sale (Bikri Kabala): Your land purchase agreement lists the exact Dag and Patta numbers of the land you bought.
• Original Patta Document: If you received a physical Patta certificate from the circle office, the Patta number is printed prominently at the top of the document.

If you still cannot locate them, you can take your village name and visit the local Lot Mandal office. The Mandal can search the village field book (Chitha) and find your numbers in a few minutes.

Why are Dag and Patta Numbers Important for e-Khajana?

When you apply to pay your annual land revenue (e-Khajana) online on the Sewa Setu portal, you must enter your Patta number and Dag number to identify your land parcel. The system uses these numbers to pull your land records from the Dharitree database, verify your ownership, calculate the applicable tax rate, and generate a payment demand. Without these numbers, you simply cannot initiate an e-Khajana payment online.

This is why knowing your Dag and Patta number is the first and most critical step in managing your land in Assam. Keep these numbers noted in a safe place — your phone notes, a diary, or a photo of your Khajana receipt saved in cloud storage.

Common Problems & Troubleshooting

• Multiple Dag numbers under one Patta: This is normal and happens when one person owns multiple plots in the same village. All Dags are listed in one Jamabandi document.
• Patta number not matching after land purchase: After you buy land and get mutation done, the old seller's Patta number is cancelled. You receive a new Patta number. Always use your new Patta number for future transactions.
• Cannot find your Dag on Dharitree: Very old or disputed lands sometimes have missing or conflicting records. In such cases, visit the circle office and request a manual search of the village field book (Chitha).
• Different Dag numbers in old and new receipts: This can happen if the village was re-surveyed and plots were renumbered. Your Lot Mandal can clarify which old Dag corresponds to which new Dag.

Pro Tips

• Always write your Patta number and all Dag numbers on the inside cover of your land document folder for quick reference.
• If you own land in multiple villages, keep a separate note for each village as Dag numbers are village-specific and can overlap.
• When buying land, always verify the seller's Patta number on the Dharitree portal before signing the sale deed to confirm they are the genuine owner.
• Take a photo of the relevant page in your Khajana receipt that shows your Patta and Dag number and save it in your email or Google Drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between a Dag number and a Patta number is the foundation of managing your land in Assam. The Dag identifies where your land physically is, while the Patta identifies who legally owns it. Keeping these numbers handy and verifying them on the Dharitree portal regularly will save you from unnecessary trips to the circle office and protect your ownership rights. Whether you are paying Khajana, applying for a loan, or buying new land, always start by confirming your correct Dag and Patta numbers.

Practical Examples of Dag and Patta Numbers

Let's look at a practical scenario to make this clear. Imagine you buy three separate small plots of land in the same village from the same person. Each of these three plots will have a unique physical identifier, which is the Dag Number (e.g., Dag 101, Dag 102, and Dag 103). However, since you are the single owner of all three plots under a single lease agreement, the government may issue you a single periodic lease certificate, which is the Patta Number (e.g., Patta 45).

This means your single Patta Number 45 will list all three Dag Numbers (101, 102, 103). This is why one Patta can contain multiple Dags, but one Dag cannot belong to multiple Pattas unless it is joint ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions