Last updated 12 Nov 2026
If you own land in Telangana and want a loan against it, or you are buying farmland or a plot carved from it, a lender will ask for your land records before anything else. Those records now sit on a revenue portal called Bhu Bharati. They show who the owner is on paper, what the land's status is, and whether the land can be sold or mortgaged. A loan can stall when the record and the sale deed disagree, so it pays to read the records yourself first.
This guide explains the portal, the main documents (pahani or ROR, pattadar passbook, mutation), how lenders use them on agricultural or converted land, and what to do when records are wrong. It is a general guide. Land law is detailed, and each district and each case can differ, so confirm specifics with the Revenue Department and your lender.
The short answer
Lenders want the owner's name in the revenue record to match the name on the title documents, the land to be free of restrictions, and the latest change of ownership to be recorded (mutation). The portal where Telangana now offers these services is Bhu Bharati, the official site of the Revenue Department. Its own page lists transactional services such as registration, mutation, succession, passbook data correction, duplicate passbook and NALA, and information services such as market value, land status, prohibited lands and encumbrance details. It also lists "EC details before Dharani", which tells you that records from the earlier Dharani system are still referred to as a separate set. Treat any description of the move from Dharani as general and confirm it on the Bhu Bharati portal.
From Dharani to Bhu Bharati
Dharani was the earlier online land-records and registration system in Telangana. Bhu Bharati is the name under which the Revenue Department now offers land services. For a borrower the practical points are:
- Records created or changed under Dharani generally remain the base from which Bhu Bharati works, but exact data migration details should be confirmed on the portal.
- Some old encumbrance details sit in a separate "before Dharani" lookup on the portal.
- Slot booking appears as a step in several of the portal's flows, for example registration and mutation-related processes.
- Passbook corrections and duplicate passbook requests are handled as defined services with a step-by-step flow.
Do not assume a screenshot you saw last year still matches the portal's menu. Menus and forms change.
The documents you will hear about
The portal may use different labels for the pahani (ROR) record, so use the terms it shows after you sign in or search.
Agricultural land and converted land
Agricultural land is the area where lenders are most careful. The rules a lender follows depend on its own policy and on state law.
- Agricultural land loans. A lender may finance against agricultural land for an agriculture-linked purpose or, depending on policy, for other needs. Read about agricultural loans.
- Non-agricultural use. When land is used for housing, a commercial building or a plotted layout, it normally has to be converted from agricultural use. The Revenue Department's portal lists NALA (a conversion-related service) among its transactional services. A lender will want proof of conversion and the permissions that follow, such as layout approval. See our guide on HMDA and DTCP approvals.
- Land in a family holding. If the land came by inheritance or partition, lenders want the succession or partition papers and the matching mutation.
- Assigned or restricted land. Land given by the government with conditions, or land on a prohibited list, may not be saleable or mortgageable. The portal lists "prohibited lands" and "ROFR lands details" as information services. Search them before you sign anything.
More on this: agricultural loans, HMDA and DTCP approvals.
If you are not sure whether your land is agricultural or converted, ask the Revenue Department or a local advocate. Do not rely on a broker's word.
Mutation: why it matters
Mutation updates the revenue record after a change in ownership. A sale deed is registered at the sub-registrar's office, but the revenue record may not change until mutation is done. If it is not done, the pahani can still show the old owner, and a lender will see a mismatch between the title deed and the record.
The steps and the time for mutation are set by the Revenue Department. Check the process flow on the portal before you start.
How to check your records step by step
- Gather the survey number, village, mandal and district from your sale deed.
- Open the Bhu Bharati portal and use its land status and related lookups. Note the owner name, extent and any restriction.
- Compare the record with your sale deed or title deed, line by line.
- Search the prohibited lands and ROFR lookups for the survey number.
- Get an encumbrance certificate from the registration department. Our guide on the encumbrance certificate shows how.
- If anything differs, raise the correction or mutation request before applying for a loan.
- Check the market value for the property, since it will matter for stamp duty on a mortgage or sale.
More on this: encumbrance certificate, stamp duty.
A worked example
A small business owner in a district town wants a loan against a plot that her father bought years ago and gifted to her. The gift deed is registered, but the pahani still shows her father as the owner. The lender's legal reviewer flags the gap.
She applies for mutation using the registered gift deed. Once the record shows her name, the lender's legal opinion confirms a clear chain: sale deed to the father, gift deed to her, and a matching revenue record. The encumbrance certificate for the relevant years shows no mortgage. The case then moves to valuation. Had she applied earlier, she would have saved several weeks.
What lenders do with weak records
- Pause the file until the record is corrected.
- Ask for an indemnity or additional documents, in rare cases and only if their policy allows.
- Decline, when the land is restricted or the chain has gaps they cannot close.
- Lend a lower amount where only part of the property is clean.
These are general patterns. Each lender sets its own policy.
How LOANZ 360 helps
LOANZ 360 is a loan aggregator, not a lender. We compare your details with each partner lender's published eligibility criteria before any application goes to a lender, which helps avoid unnecessary credit enquiries; too many lender checks in a short time can lower your score. Our team prepares a credit assessment summary before the file reaches a lender, and one advisor follows the file through documents and lender questions. The lender's own legal and technical team checks the property.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bhu Bharati?
It is the Revenue Department's portal for land services in Telangana. Its page lists services such as registration, mutation, succession, passbook corrections, market value, land status, prohibited lands and encumbrance details. Check the portal for the current list.
Has Bhu Bharati replaced Dharani?
Yes. Telangana launched Bhu Bharati on 14 April 2025 to replace Dharani, and the portal still refers to records from before Dharani. For the exact transition rules and dates, read the notices on the portal rather than relying on a summary.
What is a pahani or ROR?
It is the revenue record of a land holding. It typically shows the survey number, extent, owner and land type. Lenders use it to confirm that the borrower or seller is the recorded owner.
Do lenders accept a passbook alone as proof of ownership?
Usually not. Lenders want the registered title deed, the revenue record, mutation and an encumbrance certificate together. A passbook supports ownership but is not the whole chain.
Why is mutation important for a loan?
Without mutation, the revenue record can show the old owner, which creates a mismatch with the deed. Lenders generally wait for the record to be updated.
Can I get a loan on agricultural land?
Some lenders finance agricultural land, usually for agriculture-linked purposes. Policy varies, so ask the lender, and check the land is not on a prohibited or restricted list.
What if my land is on the prohibited list?
You normally cannot sell or mortgage it until the restriction is cleared by the authority. A lender will not proceed while it stands.
Related reading: Loan against property, loan against residential property, agriculture loan, plot loan, HMDA and DTCP approvals, encumbrance certificate in Telangana, stamp duty and registration, mortgage laws in India, title deed and sale deed.