When a bank or financial institution in India needs to recover a defaulted loan of ₹20 lakh or more, it does not go to an ordinary civil court. It goes to a Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) — a specialised tribunal created exclusively for fast-track adjudication and recovery of debts due to banks and financial institutions. If you are a borrower, guarantor, or lender in Bihar, knowing where these tribunals sit and which one has jurisdiction over your matter is often the first practical question in any debt recovery dispute.
In this article, you will find the complete list of DRTs in India, their bench locations, the areas each bench covers, a detailed overview of DRT Patna, and how to identify the correct tribunal for your case.
Quick Answer: How Many DRTs Are There in India?
India has 39 Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) across 25 cities, grouped under 5 DRATs (Allahabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai). DRT Patna — located at Karpuri Thakur Sadan, Ashiana Digha Road, Patna – 800025 — has jurisdiction over Bihar and Jharkhand, with appeals lying to DRAT Allahabad.
What Is a Debt Recovery Tribunal?
A Debt Recovery Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body established under Section 3 of the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993 (formerly the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993, renamed by the 2016 amendment). The Act was enacted to provide banks and financial institutions with an expeditious forum for debt recovery, bypassing the delays of regular civil courts.
What cases does a DRT hear?
A DRT exercises two broad types of jurisdiction:
- Original Applications (OAs) — recovery claims filed by banks and financial institutions under Section 19 of the RDB Act, 1993, where the debt is ₹20 lakh or more.
- Securitisation Applications (SAs) — challenges by borrowers or guarantors against enforcement action taken by secured creditors under the SARFAESI Act, 2002 (for example, possession or auction of mortgaged property).
Which courts are barred?
Section 18 of the RDB Act bars civil courts from entertaining any matter that falls within a DRT's jurisdiction. The only exceptions are writ petitions before the High Courts (under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution) and the Supreme Court.
The Legal Framework at a Glance
| Aspect | Provision |
|---|---|
| Governing Act | Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993 |
| DRTs established under | Section 3 |
| DRATs established under | Section 8 |
| Minimum debt for DRT jurisdiction | ₹20 lakh and above (Section 1(4)) |
| Bank's recovery application | Original Application under Section 19 |
| Appeal against DRT order | Section 20 (to DRAT) |
| Pre-deposit for appeal | 50% of the debt, reducible to 25% (Section 21) |
| SARFAESI borrower challenge | Section 17 of the SARFAESI Act, 2002 |
| Tribunal procedure | Guided by natural justice, not the CPC (Section 22) |
Complete List of DRTs in India: Bench Locations and Areas Covered
The 39 DRTs are grouped below according to the DRAT that hears appeals from them — this appellate mapping is the official position published by the tribunals and checked as of August 2026.
1. DRTs under DRAT Allahabad
| DRT Bench | Location | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DRT Allahabad | Allahabad (Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh | Western and central Uttar Pradesh |
| DRT Dehradun | Dehradun, Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand |
| DRT Jabalpur | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh |
| DRT Lucknow | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Eastern Uttar Pradesh |
| DRT Patna | Patna, Bihar | Bihar and Jharkhand |
| DRT Ranchi | Ranchi, Jharkhand | Jharkhand (along with DRT Patna) |
2. DRTs under DRAT Chennai
| DRT Bench | Location | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DRT Chennai-1 | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | High-value claims (₹100 crore and above) from the DRAT Chennai region |
| DRT Chennai-2 | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Northern Chennai districts and parts of northern Tamil Nadu |
| DRT Chennai-3 | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Southern Chennai districts, Puducherry |
| DRT Madurai | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | Southern districts of Tamil Nadu |
| DRT Bengaluru-1 | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Northern and coastal Karnataka |
| DRT Bengaluru-2 | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Southern Karnataka |
| DRT Coimbatore | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu | Western districts of Tamil Nadu |
| DRT Ernakulam-1 | Ernakulam (Kochi), Kerala | Northern Kerala and Lakshadweep |
| DRT Ernakulam-2 | Ernakulam (Kochi), Kerala | Southern Kerala |
3. DRTs under DRAT Delhi
| DRT Bench | Location | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DRT Delhi-1 | New Delhi | Northern and eastern districts of Delhi |
| DRT Delhi-2 | New Delhi | Southern and western districts of Delhi |
| DRT Delhi-3 | New Delhi | High-value claims (₹100 crore and above) from the DRAT Delhi region |
| DRT Chandigarh-1 | Chandigarh | Parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir |
| DRT Chandigarh-2 | Chandigarh | Haryana and Chandigarh |
| DRT Chandigarh-3 | Chandigarh | Remaining Punjab districts and Ladakh |
| DRT Jaipur | Jaipur, Rajasthan | Entire state of Rajasthan |
4. DRTs under DRAT Kolkata
| DRT Bench | Location | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DRT Kolkata-1 | Kolkata, West Bengal | West Bengal |
| DRT Kolkata-2 | Kolkata, West Bengal | West Bengal |
| DRT Kolkata-3 | Kolkata, West Bengal | West Bengal |
| DRT Hyderabad-1 | Hyderabad, Telangana | Telangana and Andhra Pradesh |
| DRT Hyderabad-2 | Hyderabad, Telangana | Telangana and Andhra Pradesh |
| DRT Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | Coastal Andhra Pradesh |
| DRT Cuttack | Cuttack, Odisha | Odisha |
| DRT Guwahati | Guwahati, Assam | North-Eastern states |
| DRT Siliguri | Siliguri, West Bengal | North Bengal and Sikkim |
5. DRTs under DRAT Mumbai
| DRT Bench | Location | Areas Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DRT Mumbai-1 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | High-value claims (₹100 crore and above) from the DRAT Mumbai region |
| DRT Mumbai-2 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Mumbai city and Goa |
| DRT Mumbai-3 | Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra | Navi Mumbai, Thane and Nashik region |
| DRT Ahmedabad-1 | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Northern and central Gujarat |
| DRT Ahmedabad-2 | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Southern Gujarat and Daman & Diu |
| DRT Aurangabad | Aurangabad (Chh. Sambhaji Nagar), Maharashtra | Marathwada and north Maharashtra |
| DRT Nagpur | Nagpur, Maharashtra | Vidarbha region |
| DRT Pune | Pune, Maharashtra | Western Maharashtra |
Note: DRT benches and their territorial jurisdictions can be reorganised by notification of the Central Government (Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services). Before filing any application, it is advisable to verify the current jurisdiction notification and the bench address on the official portal drt.gov.in.
DRT Patna: Jurisdiction, Address and Areas Covered
For anyone searching for "DRT Patna", here is the direct answer.
Where is DRT Patna located?
Debts Recovery Tribunal, Patna
2nd Floor, "A", "B" and "F" Wings, Karpuri Thakur Sadan,
Kendriya Karmchari Parisar (GPOA), Ashiana Digha Road,
Patna – 800025, Bihar
What areas does DRT Patna cover?
DRT Patna exercises jurisdiction over the entire states of Bihar and Jharkhand. This means:
- A bank whose branch in any district of Bihar or Jharkhand holds the defaulted account can file an Original Application before DRT Patna.
- A borrower, guarantor or defendant who resides or carries on business in Bihar or Jharkhand can be proceeded against at DRT Patna.
- Any cause of action arising wholly or partly in Bihar or Jharkhand falls within its territorial limits.
Where do appeals from DRT Patna go?
Appeals against orders of DRT Patna lie before the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT), Allahabad, under Section 20 of the RDB Act. An appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving the DRT's order, and where the appeal is by the borrower or debtor, it is maintainable only upon deposit of 50% of the debt due as determined by the DRT — which the DRAT may reduce to a minimum of 25% for recorded reasons (Section 21).
A practical point for borrowers in Bihar: SARFAESI enforcement by banks (such as symbolic or physical possession of mortgaged property under Section 13(4)) across Bihar and Jharkhand is also challenged before DRT Patna under Section 17 of the SARFAESI Act — which is why understanding DRT Patna's jurisdiction matters even before any court case is filed.
How to Identify the Correct DRT for Your Matter
Under Section 19 of the RDB Act, a bank or financial institution may file its Original Application before the DRT within whose local limits:
- The branch or office of the bank maintaining the account in which the debt is outstanding is located; or
- The defendant (borrower/guarantor) actually and voluntarily resides, carries on business, or personally works for gain; or
- The cause of action, wholly or in part, arises.
This is the same defendant-centric test familiar from civil procedure, and it means that more than one DRT may sometimes have jurisdiction over the same debt. In multi-defendant cases, the application can be filed where any one of the defendants resides or carries on business.
Practical Points Before Filing or Defending a DRT Case
- E-filing is mandatory. As per the Gazette notification dated 31.01.2023, cases must be filed online through the e-DRT portal (efiling.drt.gov.in); hard copies are not required to be deposited with the tribunal.
- Case status and cause lists are available on drt.gov.in and eCourts services, where all 39 DRTs and 5 DRATs are covered.
- The 30-day appeal clock under Section 20 runs from the date of receipt of the order, not the date of the order — keep the postal or service record carefully.
- Jurisdictional objections must be raised at the earliest opportunity; delay can result in a submission to the tribunal's jurisdiction.
- Recovery certificates issued by DRTs are executed by Recovery Officers with powers of attachment and sale of property, appointment of receivers, and arrest and detention in civil prison.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are 39 DRTs functioning across 25 cities, and 5 DRATs at Allahabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.
DRT Patna, located at Karpuri Thakur Sadan, Ashiana Digha Road, Patna – 800025, covers the entire states of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Appeals lie before DRAT Allahabad within 30 days of receiving the order, subject to the pre-deposit requirement under Section 21 (50% of the debt due, reducible to 25%).
The debt must be ₹20 lakh or more. Claims below this threshold must be pursued before civil or commercial courts.
Yes. A borrower or guarantor aggrieved by enforcement measures under the SARFAESI Act can file a Securitisation Application under Section 17 before DRT Patna if the property or borrower is within its jurisdiction.
No. Only banks, notified financial institutions and consortiums can file Original Applications. Individual borrowers appear as defendants or file applications under SARFAESI.
The Act is designed for expeditious adjudication, and DRTs are not bound by the CPC; however, pendency varies by bench, and timelines depend on the complexity of the matter.
Yes. Since the notification dated 31 January 2023, filing through the e-DRT portal is mandatory.
After the DRAT, a further challenge lies to the High Court under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution or to the Supreme Court — not by way of a regular statutory appeal.
Verify on the official portal drt.gov.in (Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance) or through the e-filing portal, as benches are occasionally relocated by government notification.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Laws, regulations, government notifications and judicial interpretations may change, and the application of law depends on the facts and circumstances of each matter. Readers should consult a qualified legal professional for advice relating to their specific situation. Bench addresses and territorial jurisdictions mentioned here are as published by the tribunals as of the date of verification and should be re-confirmed before any filing.
