Quick answer: Dharani has been replaced by Bhu Bharati. The Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2024 came into force on 14 April 2025, and the Bhu Bharati portal now holds the state’s land records. Before you buy a plot or land-based house, use it to check the survey number, owner, extent and land type, and use the encumbrance certificate (EC) on the Registration Department’s IGRS portal to check registered sales and mortgages.
By Vijay Arjun V (B.Pharm, PGDM), authorised LIC HFL DSA since 2002. Facts on Bhu Bharati from Telangana government announcements and news reports (April 2025); checked 12 October 2026.
What replaced the Dharani portal?
Telangana’s new land records law, the Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2024, was passed in December 2024 and came into force on 14 April 2025, when the Chief Minister launched the Bhu Bharati portal. It started as a pilot in four mandals and was then rolled out across the state. Dharani, which ran under the 2020 Act, is no longer used.
How is Bhu Bharati different from Dharani?
| Dharani (2020 Act) | Bhu Bharati (2024 Act) | |
|---|---|---|
| Correcting a wrong entry | Mostly through civil courts | Appeal to the tahsildar or RDO, then the District Collector and higher revenue authorities |
| Survey map at registration | Not required | Required at registration |
| Land ID | Survey and sub-division numbers | A unique Bhudhaar number for each land parcel, in addition |
| Inherited land | Records updated without wide notice | Notices to all stakeholders before records change |
| Physical records | Digital only | Physical records kept at revenue offices alongside digital records |
What should you check before buying a plot or land?
- Owner and extent: the seller’s name, survey number and extent on the land records match the sale deed and the layout plan.
- Land type: agricultural land must be converted for non-agricultural use before plots are sold in a layout. Ask for the conversion order.
- Prohibited lands: make sure the survey number is not on the government’s prohibited lands list (government, assigned, endowment or other restricted land).
- Encumbrance certificate: download the EC for the property from the Registration Department’s IGRS portal for at least 13 years, ideally 30, to see every registered sale and mortgage. See what MODT is, since a registered mortgage shows up here.
- Layout approval: HMDA or DTCP approval with the layout permit number, or LRS regularisation for older plots. See HMDA vs DTCP plot loans and LRS plots and home loans.
- Lake buffer zones: check the plot is not in a lake’s FTL or buffer zone. See FTL and buffer zones.
- Mutation: after you buy, apply for mutation so the records show your name.
How do you search land details on Bhu Bharati?
On the Bhu Bharati portal, use the land details search under information services. You can search by survey or sub-division number, by pattadar passbook number, or by district, mandal and village. The portal also shows market values and lets you apply for mutation and corrections. Use only the official Telangana government portal: several private websites copy the Bhu Bharati name.
Do flat buyers need to check Bhu Bharati?
Usually not directly. For a flat in an apartment, the land and title are checked as part of the project: the builder’s title chain, the building permission, and RERA registration. If the project is APF-approved by LIC HFL, its legal check is already done. As a flat buyer, check the project on Telangana RERA and download the EC. See property documents for a home loan in Telangana.
Does LIC HFL check land records before a plot or home loan?
Yes. Before sanction, LIC HFL’s advocate checks the title chain, the EC and the approvals, and its engineer checks the property. Linking Aadhaar to your land on a revenue portal is not one of the standard steps before disbursement; the legal check works from your sale deed, EC and approvals. After you buy, eKYC is part of applying for mutation in your name. If your file needs anything extra, we tell you before you apply.
Plot buyers: LIC HFL funds up to 75% of the plot value, and in APF-approved HMDA ventures you get a processing-fee discount and no legal and technical fee. See the LIC HFL plot loan and what a plot costs to buy in Telangana.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dharani portal still working?
No. Bhu Bharati replaced Dharani when the 2024 Act came into force on 14 April 2025.
What is a Bhudhaar number?
A unique identification number for each land parcel under Bhu Bharati, meant to make records easier to trace, similar in idea to Aadhaar for people.
My land record has a mistake. What do I do?
Apply for a correction on Bhu Bharati. If it is rejected, you can appeal to the tahsildar or RDO and then to the District Collector, instead of going straight to court as under Dharani.
Is the EC on Bhu Bharati the same as the IGRS EC?
For a home or plot loan, the EC that matters is the one from the Registration Department’s IGRS portal, which lists registered documents such as sale deeds and mortgages. Your lender’s advocate will ask for it.
Sources: Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2024; launch reports from News On AIR (15 April 2025) and The News Minute (29 April 2025); Bhu Bharati service guides published by lenders (July 2025). Procedures can change; check the official portal or your tahsildar office.
Hyderabad Home Loans is run by Elite Financial Services, an authorised Direct Selling Agent (DSA) of LIC Housing Finance Ltd. We are not LIC HFL. Loans are sanctioned solely at LIC HFL’s discretion; rates and fees may change.