With Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections expected in the coming months, the Karnataka government on Wednesday announced a major property regularization drive in the city, offering what Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar described as the “sixth guarantee” for Bengaluru.
Under the campaign titled “Bhoo Guarantee – Nanna Khata, Nanna Hakku”, (“Land Guarantee – My Property Record, My Right”), the government plans to help thousands of property owners solve khata-related issues, convert B-Khata properties into A-Khata properties at reduced prices and regularize some building violations.
The campaign will start on May 16 and last for 100 days. The government said that special camps will be organized every Saturday at ten Greater Bengaluru Authority centers across the city.
Explaining the scale of the programme, Shivakumar said Bengaluru has around 23,000 officially recognized properties, including 16,000 properties in Khatta and 7,000 properties in Khatta. “We have launched a campaign to secure property rights for 2.3 million owners at their doorsteps. Of them, 1.6 million are ‘khatas’ and there are also 700,000 ‘khats,'” he said.
One of the biggest announcements is the temporary reduction in fees required to convert B-Khata properties to A-Khata properties.
In Bengaluru, A-Khata properties are legally clear and fully approved by civil authorities, while B-Khata properties usually face legal or documentary issues and often create problems in obtaining loans, approvals or resale permissions.
At present, B-Khata owners have to pay 5% of the guideline value of the property to convert their property to A-Khata status. Under the new system, those who apply within the 100-day period will pay just 2%.
“Today, there is a special announcement: We are offering a ‘golden opportunity’ for 100 days. Normally, conversion of B-Khata to A-Khata requires a guideline value fee of 5%. However, during these 100 days, only 2% fee will be charged to citizens who apply and submit correct documents, and a 60% discount,” Shivakumar said.
Explain the benefit with an example. “For example, if a property is appraised $1 Crore, the fee will usually be $5 lakhs; Under this scheme, it will be reduced to $He said 2 lakhs.
The government also announced an exemption for homeowners whose buildings exceed the approved limits by small margins. Currently, only buildings with 5% violations can be settled and services such as electricity and water connections can be obtained. The government now plans to increase this limit to 15%.
“Based on the Supreme Court guidelines, we have reviewed the restrictions on supply of electricity and water to violating buildings. Currently, only buildings with violations up to 5% are eligible. We are deciding in the next Cabinet meeting to increase this limit to 15%, which will help thousands of families in getting basic amenities,” Shivakumar said.
The state has also proposed a setback relaxation of up to 50% for the dimensions of shared residential sites such as plots of 20×30, 30×40 and 40×60, citing rising land prices in Bengaluru. “We also offer ‘setback mitigation’ of up to 50% for standard plot sizes (20×30, 30×40, 40×60) given the high land values in Bengaluru,” he said.
The government also announced that property owners will be able to regularize eligible properties under the Ikrimah-Sakarma framework through a one-time settlement scheme starting June 15.
Under this scheme, applicants can regularize properties by paying 5% of the indicative value.
The government said property records in Bengaluru have been digitally mapped using Aadhaar-linked details, mobile phone numbers and location data in a bid to curb fraud and tampering.
Shivakumar said the new system will help citizens obtain verified ownership documents without relying on intermediaries or paying bribes.
Besides the real estate measures, the government also announced a series of development projects in Bengaluru.
As part of the Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations, the state plans to plant 15,000 saplings across the city under the ‘Green Bengaluru’ campaign.
The Bengaluru Development Authority, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, has also announced plans for subsidized housing projects, including affordable 1-bedroom homes and 3-bedroom apartments.
In addition, the government has set an 18-month deadline for the proposed Hebbal-GKVK short tunnel project with the aim of reducing congestion in North Bengaluru.
