If you're buying a plot from overseas, the single most important word on the listing is the approval authority. It changes the price, the loan eligibility and the resale story.
DTCP / HMDA approved plots These layouts are sanctioned by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (or HMDA in Hyderabad). They have legal road widths, demarcated open space and clear titles. Banks lend against them and resale is straightforward — which is exactly why they trade at a premium.
Gram Panchayat plots GP plots are cheaper and common on the urban fringe, but the panchayat's approval does not equal town-planning sanction. Many are perfectly fine; some sit on land that was never legally converted. Loans are harder and resale depends entirely on the paperwork.
What to check as an NRI Insist on the approved layout copy and the LP (layout permission) number, verify it on the authority's website, and give your power of attorney holder a narrow, specific mandate. Never wire money against photos alone.
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Imran Sheikh
Contributor · TrueAcre Journal
Imran Sheikh writes for the TrueAcre Journal on Indian farmland — markets, documents, and the people buying and selling land across the country.