A project marketed as 'Kolkata' may actually fall within a municipality, a municipal corporation, a gram panchayat, a notified development area or overlapping planning jurisdictions. That difference can affect the authority that approves building plans, assesses property tax and supplies or regulates some services. A pin on Google Maps or a nearby Kolkata postal address does not establish legal jurisdiction. Start with the plot number and government records.
## Identify the actual competent authority Obtain the mouza, plot/dag number, khatian reference where relevant, ward or gram panchayat details, and the exact local-body boundary. Ask the seller for the approved building plan with the authority’s name and permission number. Municipal properties may use government online building-plan systems such as e-Grihanaksha or local corporation procedures. Panchayat and development-authority requirements vary with location and type of construction. A sanction issued by the wrong authority is a serious warning sign.
## Check land classification before inspecting interiors A residential-looking building does not prove that the plot’s recorded use permits the proposed development. Obtain appropriate land-record extracts and conversion permissions where required. Cross-check title, mutation, restrictions, access road status, and the approved use of the building. The Banglarbhumi portal is a starting point for some land-record enquiries, not a substitute for an independent title search or a certified approval document. Ask a local qualified lawyer to verify the entire chain.
## Utilities and road access differ from brochures Review the documented source and reliability of drinking water, drainage, sewer or septic arrangements, power connection, waste collection, firefighting access and maintenance of the approach road. Ask who owns and maintains internal roads and drains. Visit during or shortly after heavy rain if possible. Do not assume a future municipal expansion will automatically provide better services, or that a proposed road or metro link will be operational by possession. Prefer functioning infrastructure and written service arrangements.
## Stamp duty, registration and property tax Registration is a separate state process; the local body governs different administrative matters. Actual duties and registration fees depend on official valuation and current rules. Property-tax assessment and mutation procedures can differ by authority. Obtain an itemised estimate using West Bengal’s official registration resources and the local body's requirements. For under-construction housing, confirm whether WBRERA registration is applicable and check the registered disclosures rather than relying on statements that a project is 'under panchayat' and therefore exempt.
## Warning signs in peripheral projects Be careful when a builder cannot produce the sanction plan, calls agricultural land 'converted by default', markets a proposed highway as completed, or insists that a bank’s loan approval proves every permission. Banks conduct their own checks, but the buyer remains responsible for independent legal and technical due diligence. Also investigate boundary disputes, nearby water bodies, right-of-way claims, electricity deposits and the cost of regularisation, if any. Seek a formal legal opinion before paying a non-refundable amount.
