Karnataka Simplifies Pauti Khata Land Mutation for Heirs Living Outside State

The Karnataka Revenue Department has issued fresh guidelines to streamline the 'Pauti Khata' process—the official mutation of agricultural land following the death of a recorded landholder—for legal heirs residing permanently outside the state or abroad.

The revised procedure applies to the heirs of deceased landholders in Karnataka whose official Aadhaar records reflect addresses outside the state. It also covers foreign citizens who are asserting inheritance rights over agricultural properties located in Karnataka.

As per the new guidelines, applicants are required to submit a digital family tree certificate or a legal-heir certificate issued by the competent authority of the state or foreign country where they currently live. Applicants must translate these documents into English and attach a Rs 100 notarised affidavit confirming their authenticity.

Revenue Department officials clarified that the Karnataka government will not issue separate family-tree certificates for such individuals. Instead, heirs must independently secure the appropriate heirship documentation from the relevant local authority in their respective place of residence.

In addition to heirship records, applicants may need to submit the deceased landholder’s death certificate, a passport copy, and an affidavit detailing the complete family lineage before approaching the Nadakacheri system for the mutation process.

To verify the identities of claimants, all legal heirs named in the family tree must furnish their Aadhaar details and complete e-KYC verification using either one-time passwords (OTP) or biometric authentication. For foreign citizens claiming rights, the submission of passport copies is accepted instead of Aadhaar details.

To support the updated workflow, the Revenue Department has modified the e-Pauti software. This technical modification allows heirs based outside Karnataka and overseas to upload their documentation and submit applications through the Nadakacheri system for administrative processing under the revised rules.