Patna Master Plan 2031 Explained: What Plot Buyers Must Know
Short answer: the Patna Master Plan 2031 is the Bihar government's legal land-use plan for 1,167.04 sq km in and around Patna. It decides where homes, shops, roads and farmland go. It came into force on 28 October 2016 (notification no. 831) and covers 13 blocks and 575 revenue villages of Patna district. If you are buying a plot, the first question is not the price — it is which master plan zone the land falls in.
This guide explains the plan in plain language and what each part means for your plot, your house and your money. It is the main article of our master plan series; detailed guides on each topic are linked below.
What is the Patna Master Plan 2031 and who made it?
A master plan sets out how a city should grow over 15–20 years. The Patna Master Plan 2031 was prepared by the Town and Country Planning Organization (TCPO) of Bihar's Urban Development & Housing Department, with CEPT University, Ahmedabad, under the Bihar Urban Planning and Development Act, 2012.
Patna went a long time without one. A master plan was approved in 1967 (notification 4860, 20 June 1967). A revised plan up to 2001 was prepared but never notified, and the draft 2021 plan was not approved either. For decades the city grew with no plan in force — which is a big part of why it has waterlogging, narrow lanes and haphazard colonies today.
Which blocks and villages are in the Patna Master Plan 2031?
The area the plan applies to is called the Patna Planning Area (PPA), notified on 13 August 2014 (notification 337/338). It has 575 revenue villages and 6 urban bodies: Patna Municipal Corporation, Danapur, Khagaul, Phulwari, Maner and Fatuha.
| Block | Revenue villages in PPA | Urban bodies |
|---|---|---|
| Bihta | 80 | — |
| Danapur-cum-Khagaul | 34 | Danapur, Khagaul |
| Dhanarua | 15 | — |
| Daniawan | 5 | — |
| Fatuha | 77 | Fatuha |
| Khusrupur | 2 | — |
| Maner | 41 | Maner |
| Masaurhi | 6 | — |
| Naubatpur | 93 | — |
| Patna Rural | 31 | Patna Municipal Corporation |
| Phulwari | 68 | Phulwari |
| Punpun | 85 | — |
| Sampatchak | 38 | — |
| Total | 575 | 6 |
Several blocks are only partly inside the PPA — only 5 villages of Daniawan and 2 of Khusrupur, for example. The village-by-village list is in Annexure 1 of the report.
Patna Master Plan 2031: the key numbers
| Item | In the plan |
|---|---|
| Total area | 1,167.04 sq km |
| Available for development (urbanisable) | 584.85 sq km (about 50.11%) |
| Not for development (rivers, green cover, farming, conservation) | 582.19 sq km (about 49.89%) |
| Projected population 2031 | 60.25 lakh (urban about 48.77 lakh) |
| Homes needed by 2031 | about 5.16 lakh |
| Seismic zone | Zone IV, plus flood risk |
The headline: roughly half the planning area is not meant for development. So treat "just 10 km from Patna, a city is coming up here" with care — check the zone first.
Within the developable 584.85 sq km, the plan allots 55.04% to residential, 6.09% commercial, 2.35% industrial, 7.74% public/semi-public, 12.73% transport and 7.86% open space and buffers.
What are the zones in the Patna Master Plan, and what do they mean?
The plan splits the area into a contiguous core (the continuous city south of the Ganga, plus a satellite township near the proposed airport south of the Punpun) and growth nodes (proposed townships at Bihta, Naubatpur and Fatuha), separated by an Urban Agriculture zone. The zones that matter most to a buyer:
| Zone | Where | FAR | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential R1 / R2 | R1 in the core, R2 in growth nodes | as per byelaws | The safest zone for building a home |
| Commercial C1 / C2, commercial strips and hubs | Historic market roads; junctions of 80/60/45/30.5 m roads | as per byelaws | Shops and offices |
| Village Settlement | Village habitation plus a 100 m belt around it | 1 | Homes allowed close to the village |
| Urban Agriculture | Around the core and growth nodes | 0.75 | Mainly farming; homes only under strict conditions |
| Conservation | Almost all the remaining rural area | 0.50 | Plotted colonies and apartments prohibited; farm dwellings allowed |
| Special Area | Old Patna (Zone 1) | — | Redevelopment; road widening no less than the old plan |
| Bio-conservation / water bodies | Ganga lagoons, along the Punpun, rivers and ponds | — | Not for building |
| Defence | Danapur and Bihta cantonments | — | Army rules apply |
FAR (floor area ratio) is how much you can build compared with the plot area. At FAR 1, a 1-kattha plot (about 1,361 sq ft) allows roughly 1,361 sq ft of floor space across all floors; at FAR 0.5, half that.
In the Urban Agriculture zone, a house needs coverage of 20% or less, height up to 7 m, and at least 60% of the land under plantation or farming. We cover green-belt questions in detail in a separate article in this series.
New roads in the Patna Master Plan: 80 m, 60 m and 45 m
- An 80 m central spine with a drainage canal, passing through villages including Nagwa, Khagaul (near AIIMS), Sadallichak, Bhogipur, Bairiya and Sabalpur.
- 60 m roads — 11 separate alignments.
- 45 m roads — e.g. Maner–Bihta, Bihta–Naubatpur, Naubatpur–Punpun, Punpun–Fatuha.
- A 30.5 m road grid at roughly 1.5 × 1.5 km.
- A widening list for existing roads (Boring Road, Ashok Rajpath and others) — where two widths are given, the higher one applies.
If your plot sits on one of these alignments, part of it can go into the road. A village-wise road article is coming in this series.
What is a zonal plan, and where do things stand now?
To put the master plan on the ground, the PPA is divided into 15 zones, each to get its own Zonal Development Plan (ZDP). The master plan is explicit: until a zonal plan exists, development follows the master plan, and no change of land use is permitted.
Development was phased: Phase I (2016–21) for zones 1, 2, 3 and parts of 4 and 5; Phases II (2021–26) and III (2026–31) for the rest, with unmet targets carried forward.
Status as of 14 October 2026: the Patna Metropolitan Area Authority (PMAA) has invited proposals from agencies to prepare zonal plans — Group I (Special Area and Patna Urban) and Group II (Patna Central, Sampat and Mircha). So most zones do not yet have a notified zonal plan. We will update this article when that changes.
How does Patliputra Township relate to the Master Plan 2031?
The master plan mentioned a satellite township south of the Punpun near the proposed airport. The government is now developing a much larger area there as the Patliputra Greenfield Satellite Township, with its own Draft Development Plan 2047 (notification 8023, 01.08.2026). According to the draft, within that special area it will override the PMP 2031. Development and construction there remain barred until 30.03.2027. Details:
- Patliputra Township: registry open, construction still barred — what next?
- Full list of the 273 Patliputra Township villages
How do I find out which zone my land in Patna is in?
- Check whether the village is in the PPA: take the block and mauza name from your khatiyan or jamabandi and match it with the table above (full list in Annexure 1).
- Look at the proposed land-use map: the full report is free on the PMAA website. Open the "Proposed Land Use" map (Map 21). It is a large-scale map, so it won't settle a boundary dispute at field level.
- Match it with the khesra map: get the revenue map of your khesra from the Bhu-Naksha portal and locate it on the master plan map.
- Get it confirmed in writing from PMAA or the relevant authority for any large purchase. Don't rely on what a broker says.
- In the Patliputra Township area, check the Draft Plan 2047, not PMP 2031.
- Patna Master Plan 2031 report — TCPO, UD&HD, Government of Bihar (with CEPT University). Printed page numbers: history pp. 7–9; PPA, blocks and villages pp. 22–23; population pp. 61–63; land use p. 66; zones pp. 68–72; roads pp. 78–87; drainage pp. 102–104; housing need pp. 130–131; zonal plans and phasing pp. 150–151; permitted/prohibited uses by zone (DCR table) pp. 274–278 — pmaa.bihar.gov.in → Patna Master Plan
- Notification 4655, UD&HD — 24.04.2026 (records that PMP 2031 was notified by notification 831 dated 28.10.2016)
- Notification 8023 — 01.08.2026 (Patliputra Township Draft Development Plan 2047)
- Zonal Development Plan proposal notices — pmaa.bihar.gov.in → Zonal Development Plan (checked 14.10.2026)
What should you do before buying a plot? (our advice)
- Zone first, price later. A "cheap plot" in a Conservation or Urban Agriculture zone can turn out expensive if you can't get a building plan approved.
- Check road alignments. Land on a proposed 80/60/45 m road can be cut later.
- Beware "it's in the master plan, prices will double". Being inside the PPA is not the same as being in a development zone.
- Papers still matter. Even with the right zone, check the jamabandi, mutation and chain of deeds — see our Patna plot buying guide and how to check jamabandi, khatiyan and LPC online.
- Floods and waterlogging. The plan itself notes that apart from old Patna City, the city's general ground level is below the Ganga flood level, and the area south of the railway line is saucer-shaped. Visit the site in the monsoon.
Patna Master Plan 2031: frequently asked questions
- When did the Patna Master Plan 2031 come into force?
By UD&HD notification no. 831 dated 28.10.2016. The Patna Planning Area itself had been notified earlier, on 13.08.2014 (notification 337/338).
- How many villages are in the Patna Master Plan 2031?
575 revenue villages across 13 blocks, plus 6 urban bodies. Naubatpur (93), Punpun (85), Bihta (80) and Fatuha (77) have the most villages.
- Where can I download the Patna Master Plan 2031 PDF?
The full report is free on the Patna Metropolitan Area Authority website, pmaa.bihar.gov.in, under "Patna Master Plan".
- Can I build a house in the Urban Agriculture zone in Patna?
Only under strict conditions. FAR is 0.75 and the main use is farming; a house needs coverage of 20% or less, height up to 7 m and at least 60% of the land under plantation or farming, and the land must not be leasehold. Ask about plan approval before buying.
- Can a house be built on land near a village?
The plan treats a 100 m belt around village habitation as Village Settlement zone, so the village can grow naturally. FAR there is 1, even if the surrounding map shows Conservation zone.
- Without a zonal plan, which rules apply to building plans?
Until a zonal plan is notified, development follows the master plan and land use cannot be changed. Building rules come from the Bihar Building Byelaws.
- Does PMP 2031 apply in Patliputra Township?
That special area has its own Draft Development Plan 2047, which will replace PMP 2031 there once final. Until then, development and construction there are barred until 30.03.2027.
This article is based on the Patna Master Plan 2031 report and government notifications available up to 14 October 2026. Rules can change — confirm with the relevant office before making any decision.
