Who is responsible for maintenance of land records at the village level?

(a) Inspector

(b) Sarpanch

(c) Patwari

(d) Chief Minister

The correct Answer: (c) Patwari

At the village level, the Patwari (also called Lekhpal/Talathi/Village Accountant in different states) is the revenue official responsible for maintaining land records. This role sits under the Tehsildar/Naib Tehsildar and covers one or more villages.

Key duties of the Patwari/Lekhpal

• Land record maintenance: Updates the khasra (field map/plot-wise details) and khatauni/jamabandi (record of rights—owners/tenants, area, shares).
• Measurement & demarcation: Measures fields, resolves boundary disputes, and records changes on village maps.
• Mutation (intkāl) entries: Records changes in ownership due to sale, inheritance, gift, or partition after verification and orders from the competent authority.
• Crop inspection (girdawari): Notes sown crops, helps assess damage/loss after natural calamities for relief/insurance.
• Certificates & revenue work: Assists with land-related certificates, supports stamp duty/revenue processes, and provides data for government schemes and surveys.

Why the other options are incorrect

(a) Inspector: Generally a police rank; not a revenue/land-record officer.

(b) Sarpanch: Elected head of the Gram Panchayat (local self-government); does not maintain land records.

(d) Chief Minister: Head of the state government; not involved in village-level record-keeping.