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Glossary

Poramboke Land

Government-owned common land in Tamil Nadu that is not assessed for tax and cannot be sold or transferred for private ownership.

What is Poramboke Land?

Poramboke is a Tamil term for government-owned land set aside for public use — roads, water bodies, burial grounds, grazing, community purposes, and government infrastructure. Poramboke land is recorded as such in revenue records and is not assigned a Patta. It cannot be legally sold, purchased, or privately owned. Any claim of ownership over Poramboke land is void, and any structures built on it can be demolished by the government without compensation.

Why Poramboke matters in due diligence

Encroachments on Poramboke land are common, particularly in urban fringe areas where land values are rising. Structures built on Poramboke can be demolished without notice or compensation. Even adjacency to Poramboke can affect development potential — buffer zones may apply near water body poramboke, and access issues may arise near road poramboke. During due diligence, always verify in the A-Register and Chitta that the survey number you are acquiring is NOT classified as Poramboke.

Types of Poramboke

Poramboke land is sub-classified by its intended public use: roadside poramboke (land alongside roads and highways), water body poramboke (land around lakes, rivers, channels, and tanks), community poramboke (burial grounds, temples, public gathering spaces), and government poramboke (land reserved for state infrastructure and institutions). Each type carries different implications for adjacent land — water body poramboke, for instance, may have CRZ or flood zone restrictions that affect nearby private land.

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