Chhattisgarh is one of India's major steel and coal states — home to Bhilai Steel Plant, NTPC Korba, and SECL. Thousands of PSU employee families hold physical SAIL, NTPC, and Coal India shares. The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Tehsildar is the document you need to start the transmission process.
By RK Gupta, Company Secretary · Updated June 2026 · 11 min read
In Hindi, the legal heir certificate is called Uttaradhikari Praman Patra (उत्तराधिकारी प्रमाण पत्र). The document is issued by the Revenue Department of Chhattisgarh and serves as administrative proof identifying all the surviving legal heirs of a deceased person — entitling them to claim the deceased's financial assets, including bank accounts, shares, provident fund, and insurance.
Chhattisgarh came into being on 1 November 2000, when it was carved out of the then undivided Madhya Pradesh. It is a young state by Indian standards, but industrially it is one of the most significant in the country. The state is often called the "rice bowl of India" for its agricultural output, but its industrial weight comes from steel, coal, and iron ore — sectors built on decades of public sector investment.
The major industrial presences in Chhattisgarh are formidable. The Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) — one of India's oldest and largest integrated steel plants, set up in 1955 with Soviet technical collaboration — is operated by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and is located in Bhilai, Durg district. It is among the largest employers in central India, and for generations, BSP workers and their families have been the backbone of Bhilai's economy. NTPC Korba (the Korba Super Thermal Power Station) is one of India's largest power plants. SECL — South Eastern Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited — has its headquarters in Bilaspur and operates extensive coalfields across the Korba belt. NMDC (National Mineral Development Corporation) runs iron ore mining operations in the Bailadila region of Bastar, producing some of India's highest-grade iron ore.
Thousands of retired employees and their families from these four organisations — BSP, NTPC Korba, SECL, and NMDC — hold physical share certificates in SAIL, NTPC, Coal India, and NMDC respectively. When an elderly employee passes away, the family needs to transfer these shares into their own names. The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra is the first document required to begin that process.
It is important to understand that the legal heir certificate is an administrative document — not a court order. It is distinct from a succession certificate, which is issued by a civil court and is a more involved, costly, and time-consuming process. The legal heir certificate from the Tehsildar is sufficient for most share transmission purposes, specifically when the holding per company is below ₹5 lakh. For larger or disputed estates, a succession certificate may be required. See our guide on share transmission to legal heirs for a full overview of which document applies in your case.
The Tehsildar is the issuing authority for the Uttaradhikari Praman Patra in Chhattisgarh. The Tehsildar is the senior revenue official at the tehsil level — one step above the block/gram level and below the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in the Revenue Department hierarchy.
Before the Tehsildar signs and issues the certificate, the Patwari — the village or block-level revenue official who maintains Khasra and Khatoni (land records) — conducts a mandatory field enquiry. The Patwari visits the deceased's residential address, speaks with family members and sometimes neighbours, and submits a field report to the Tehsildar. Only after this report is received does the Tehsildar review and issue the certificate.
In some tehsils, particularly for straightforward cases with complete documentation and no disputes, the Naib Tehsildar (Deputy Tehsildar) may issue the certificate. In urban areas like Raipur, Bhilai, and Bilaspur, the tehsils are better staffed and the turnaround is generally faster than in remote rural tehsils.
Chhattisgarh has multiple tehsils in each district. In Raipur district alone — the capital district — there are several tehsils serving different parts of the city and surrounding areas. In Durg district, where Bhilai is located, the tehsil covering Bhilai's revenue jurisdiction handles applications from BSP township families and the surrounding areas.
CG Lokvani is Chhattisgarh government's citizen services platform — the state's counterpart to MP Online (Madhya Pradesh) or Saral (Haryana). The portal is accessible at cgstate.gov.in or through the dedicated Lokvani portal link. It covers a wide range of government services across departments, and the Revenue Department's Uttaradhikari Praman Patra (Legal Heir Certificate) is among the services available online.
The online application process works as follows. You register on the CG Lokvani portal using your mobile number. Once logged in, navigate to Revenue Department services and select "Uttaradhikari Praman Patra" from the list. The application form asks for the deceased person's full name exactly as it appears on their Aadhaar card, date of death, permanent residential address in Chhattisgarh, and the complete list of all legal heirs — each with their full name, Aadhaar number, relationship to the deceased, and date of birth. Once you have filled the form, you upload the required documents in the specified file format and size, pay the government fee through the portal's payment gateway (UPI, net banking, or debit/credit card), and submit. You receive an application reference number immediately upon submission. This number is used to track the status of your application online.
After submission, the application routes to the Tehsildar's office of the tehsil covering the deceased's address. The Patwari is then assigned to conduct the field enquiry. Once the Patwari submits the enquiry report, the Tehsildar reviews the file and issues the signed certificate. You can then download it from the CG Lokvani portal or collect it from the Lokvani Kendra where you applied.
For applicants who are not comfortable with online processes, Lokvani Kendras — physical service centres at the block and tehsil level — are available across all districts of Chhattisgarh. An operator at the Lokvani Kendra helps fill the form, scans your documents, and submits the application on your behalf for a small facilitation fee. The Lokvani Kendra network has broad coverage across the state, including in smaller towns and block-level offices.
Gather all of the following before you begin the application. Missing even one document at the time of submission can delay the Patwari's enquiry and push back the overall timeline significantly.
A note on death certificates in Bhilai: Bhilai is administratively part of Durg district. The Bhilai-Charoda Municipal Corporation (BCMC) covers the municipal areas around the Bhilai Steel Plant township and the surrounding residential areas. However, the Bhilai Steel Plant has a township — the BSP Township — administered by SAIL itself, which has its own internal administrative structure for colony residents. Families in the BSP Township should confirm from which authority their death certificate has been issued, as the issuing body will matter for the legal heir certificate application.
The Patwari field enquiry is a step that many applicants underestimate in terms of its importance to the overall timeline. It is mandatory — it cannot be waived or replaced by any declaration — and the Tehsildar will not issue the certificate until the Patwari's report has been received and reviewed.
The Patwari is the village-level or block-level revenue official whose primary responsibility is maintaining land records — the Khasra (record of fields) and Khatoni (record of cultivators). The Patwari knows the families in the area, particularly those who own land. When an application for a legal heir certificate is received, the Patwari visits the deceased's address and conducts a field enquiry: speaking with the applicant family, confirming the identity of the persons listed as heirs, sometimes speaking with immediate neighbours, and cross-referencing whatever land records or previous revenue documentation is available.
For urban applicants in Raipur or Bhilai/Durg, where Patwaris cover densely settled areas, the visit can typically be arranged within 7 to 10 working days. In rural areas, where a single Patwari may cover a large number of villages, the visit can take longer — sometimes extending the total timeline considerably.
The practical advice is straightforward: be available at the deceased's residential address at reasonable hours during working days, keep your original documents at hand, and answer the Patwari's questions clearly and cooperatively. If you or other family members are not typically at home during weekdays, mention an alternate contact number in your application and, if possible, inform the Tehsildar's office of your availability schedule. A missed Patwari visit adds days to your timeline.
After the field enquiry, the Patwari submits a written report to the Tehsildar. This report, combined with the application documents, forms the basis for the Tehsildar's decision to issue or seek clarification on the certificate.
In Raipur and Bhilai/Durg, where tehsil offices are well-staffed and the Lokvani network is functional, the typical turnaround is 20 to 25 working days when documents are complete at the time of submission and the Patwari's field enquiry is conducted within the first 7 to 10 working days. Rural areas of Chhattisgarh may take the full 30 working days or somewhat longer, depending on Patwari availability and the remoteness of the area.
Chhattisgarh does not have a statutory penalty framework as explicit as Madhya Pradesh's Lok Seva Guarantee Act, so there is no automatic escalation if the deadline is missed. Proactive follow-up with the Tehsildar's office or with the district Collector's grievance cell is advisable if your application has not been resolved within 30 working days of a complete submission.
| Fee Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee (Revenue Department) | ₹20–₹50 | Nominal; confirmed at portal checkout |
| Lokvani Kendra service charge | ₹50–₹100 | If applying at Lokvani Kendra in person |
| Non-judicial stamp paper (affidavit) | ₹100–₹200 | For the affidavit of heirs |
| Notarisation fee | ₹100–₹200 | Varies by notary; payable to the Notary Public |
The total cost is generally in the range of ₹300 to ₹600 — very modest compared to a succession certificate from a civil court, which involves court fees at a percentage of the asset value plus lawyer's fees.
Raipur is the capital of Chhattisgarh and its largest city. It is a commercial hub with significant business activity and a growing urban population. The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) handles death registration across Raipur's urban areas. Raipur district has multiple tehsils covering different parts of the city and the surrounding areas. Applications from Raipur are generally processed efficiently given the district's administrative infrastructure.
Bhilai and Durg deserve special attention. Bhilai is located within Durg district — it does not have its own independent district status. The Bhilai-Charoda Municipal Corporation (BCMC) covers municipal areas in and around the Bhilai Steel Plant township and its surrounding residential neighbourhoods. The Durg Municipal Corporation covers Durg city itself. For revenue administration purposes — including the legal heir certificate — both fall within the tehsils of Durg district. This is where the largest concentration of SAIL BSP employee families resides, and consequently, where the highest demand for legal heir certificates related to SAIL share transmission originates.
Bilaspur is the second-largest city in Chhattisgarh. It is also the seat of the Chhattisgarh High Court — a notable fact, because the High Court of Chhattisgarh sits at Bilaspur, not at Raipur (the capital). This matters for families who need a succession certificate rather than a legal heir certificate: the Chhattisgarh High Court at Bilaspur, or the District Court of the relevant district, would be the appropriate forum. Bilaspur Municipal Corporation handles urban death registration. SECL's headquarters being in Bilaspur means many SECL employee families live here.
Korba is a coal and power industry town of considerable significance. The NTPC Korba Super Thermal Power Station — one of India's largest — and SECL's coal operations in the Korba belt have created a large community of retired PSU employees and their families who hold physical shares. Death registration in urban Korba falls under the Korba Nagar Palika. Applications from Korba go to the Tehsildar of the relevant tehsil in Korba district.
Jagdalpur is the administrative headquarters of the Bastar division, one of India's largest districts by area. The NMDC Bailadila iron ore mines are located in Dantewada and Sukma areas within the Bastar region. NMDC employees and their families in this area may hold NMDC shares requiring transmission. The Revenue Department infrastructure here is less dense than in Raipur or Bhilai, and timelines may be somewhat longer.
The Bhilai Steel Plant is one of the defining industrial monuments of independent India. Established in 1955 as part of the Second Five-Year Plan, it was built with Soviet technical assistance — one of three integrated steel plants set up in that period (the others being Rourkela, built with German collaboration, and Durgapur, built with British collaboration). BSP was the pride of Nehruvian industrial India, a symbol of what a newly independent nation could build.
Over the decades, generations of BSP workers — from blast furnace operators and rolling mill technicians to engineers and managers — built their lives around the plant. Many were allocated SAIL shares when the Steel Authority of India was formed in 1973 and subsequently when SAIL was listed on the stock exchanges. Employees received shares as part of employee welfare schemes, and many held on to them over the decades. Some families hold physical SAIL share certificates dating back to the 1970s and 1980s — thin paper certificates that have been sitting in filing cabinets or family lockers for thirty, forty, sometimes fifty years.
When the generation of BSP workers that built their careers in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s began passing away from the 2000s onwards, the task of transmitting these share holdings to the next generation began. It is a task that continues today — and it begins with the Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Tehsildar in Durg district.
SAIL's Registrar and Transfer Agent (RTA) is KFintech — formally known as KFin Technologies Limited, based in Hyderabad. KFintech manages share registrar functions for SAIL across its physical share holding base. Their investor portal is at kfintech.com. For BSP families in Bhilai who need to transmit SAIL shares, the process is:
KFintech accepts Hindi-language legal heir certificates from Chhattisgarh Revenue authorities as a matter of routine — no English translation is required. This is an important point, as some families worry about whether the Hindi certificate will be accepted. It will be.
An additional convenience: KFintech also serves as the RTA for NTPC shares. If your family holds both SAIL and NTPC shares, the same Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Chhattisgarh Tehsildar can be used for both transmission requests — one certificate, two companies — provided the other accompanying documents are prepared correctly for each. See our share transmission service page for the full document checklist.
NMDC — National Mineral Development Corporation — is a central government undertaking under the Ministry of Steel. While its corporate headquarters is in Hyderabad, NMDC's operational heart is in Chhattisgarh. The Bailadila iron ore mines in Dantewada and Sukma districts of Bastar are among the most productive iron ore mines in India, producing high-grade ore that is exported and supplied to domestic steel plants including BSP itself.
NMDC employees posted in the Bastar region — engineers, mining technicians, and support staff — along with their families, may hold physical NMDC shares. The company was listed on the stock exchanges, and employees who received shares over their careers may not have dematerialised them. When a retired NMDC employee in Bastar passes away, the legal heir certificate required for share transmission comes from the Tehsildar of the tehsil covering the deceased's Chhattisgarh address.
NMDC's RTA is also KFintech. This means the same process that applies to SAIL and NTPC share transmission from Chhattisgarh applies equally to NMDC: Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Tehsildar → complete transmission packet → submission to KFintech.
Chhattisgarh has a large tribal population. The districts of Bastar, Surguja, Jashpur, Koriya, and parts of several other districts are dominated by Scheduled Tribe communities. The state has significant provisions under the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Code and various tribal land protection regulations that govern ownership, transfer, and inheritance of agricultural and forest land in these areas.
Families in tribal areas of Chhattisgarh sometimes wonder whether these special land laws affect their ability to claim shares or financial assets. The answer is clear: they do not. The tribal land protection provisions apply specifically to agricultural land and forest rights within the revenue classification of tribal areas. They have no bearing whatsoever on shares listed on stock exchanges, demat accounts, bank accounts, provident fund claims, insurance proceeds, or any other financial asset held in the name of a deceased person.
A tribal family in Bastar or Surguja whose deceased parent held NMDC, Coal India, or any other PSU shares is fully entitled to claim those shares through the standard Revenue Department process. The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Tehsildar is available to every resident of Chhattisgarh regardless of their tribal status, community, or land ownership pattern. The process is identical.
The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra issued by the Chhattisgarh Tehsildar is in Hindi. This is entirely consistent with the official language of Chhattisgarh and the Revenue Department's documentation standards. Hindi is Chhattisgarh's state language, and the certificate will carry the Tehsildar's signature and official seal in Hindi.
For share transmission purposes, Hindi-language legal heir certificates from Chhattisgarh are accepted by KFintech (which handles SAIL, NTPC, Coal India, NMDC, and hundreds of other companies) without requiring an English translation. KFintech's operations have extensive experience processing documents from Hindi-speaking states, and Chhattisgarh certificates are handled routinely.
If you encounter an RTA that specifically requests an English translation — which is uncommon but possible with certain private sector companies — the solution is straightforward: obtain a certified translation from a government-empanelled translator and have it notarised. But for the PSU families in Bhilai, Korba, and Bastar that are the most common applicants from Chhattisgarh, this extra step is rarely if ever necessary.
The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Tehsildar covers most standard share transmission situations. However, a succession certificate — a formal court order — is required when:
In Chhattisgarh, succession certificates are issued by the District Court of the relevant district, or by the Chhattisgarh High Court at Bilaspur for larger or more complex matters. The succession certificate process is significantly longer — typically 6 to 18 months — and involves court filing fees (a percentage of the asset value), lawyer's fees, publication of notice, and a waiting period for objections. Our general legal heir certificate guide covers the succession certificate route in detail for families who need to explore that path.
For the vast majority of investor families in Chhattisgarh — retired BSP, NTPC, SECL, and NMDC employees with standard share portfolios — the Tehsildar-issued Uttaradhikari Praman Patra is sufficient and no court involvement is required.
If a deceased family member's shares were transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) because dividends went unclaimed for seven or more consecutive years, the transmission process is different from a standard RTA submission. IEPF claims require filing Form IEPF-5 on the MCA portal at iepf.gov.in, and the Chhattisgarh legal heir certificate is one of the required supporting documents.
The Uttaradhikari Praman Patra from the Chhattisgarh Tehsildar is fully accepted for IEPF-5 claims. For families of BSP or NTPC employees whose shares have been with IEPF, our IEPF claim assistance service handles the complete filing process.
Disclaimer: Investor Helpdesk provides documentation support and process guidance only — not affiliated with any government body, SEBI, MCA, or RTA. Not legal advice.
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