Section 22: Description of houses and land by reference to Government maps or surveys

Registration Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1908

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 22

Section 22 authorizes the State Government to frame rules prescribing that immoveable property shall be described by reference to government maps or surveys for the purpose of Section 21.

  • Government Survey Reference: Where the State Government has framed rules, property descriptions must refer to a government map or survey where a survey has been made.
  • Sub-division and Plot Delineation: Mandates reference to plot numbers, town planning schemes, and revenue partition records.
  • Refusal of Defective Instruments: Registering officers are empowered to refuse documents that fail to comply with statutory survey mapping rules.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • State of Rajasthan v. Basant Nahata, (2005) 12 SCC 77: The Supreme Court observed that Section 22 empowers states to standardize land records and eliminate boundary disputes through mandatory revenue survey references.
  • Suraj Lamp & Industries Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Haryana, (2012) 1 SCC 656: Reiterated that proper survey description is vital for creating an incorruptible public land title repository.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

Always obtain an up-to-date revenue record (Jamabandi/Fard/7/12 extract) showing official government Khasra and Sub-division numbers before drafting the schedule of property in the conveyance.