Over 1 Lakh B-Khata Properties In Bengaluru To Be Regularised Soon

A plan is underway in Karnataka to regularise over one lakh B-Khata properties within corporation limits. Soon, owners of B-Khata properties in the state can obtain an A-Khata by paying an improvement and conversion charges.

Understanding A and B Khata

Khata/Register is a document that records the property tax payments made by you to the municipality. Initially, there was only a single Khata (record) document that stored the details of your property tax payments. It was governed by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). But in 2007, the ambit of BMC was expanded to include the municipal councils of Mahadevapura, Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Dasarahalli, Krishnarajapuram, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, Yelahanka, Town Municipal Council (TMC) of Kengeri and some 110 villages. The civic body was then renamed to be Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Following this expansion and formation of BBMP, properties which didn't have necessary approvals have issued an acknowledgment of property tax payment which came to be known as the 'B' Khata. You can say that the BBMP used this classification of ‘A’ Khata and ‘B’ Khata to bring about a more efficient tax collection process. Therefore, ‘A’ Khata properties were those that were legal in every way. They had paid their taxes and cleared all dues and were eligible for loans on property, trade and building licenses, etc. B-Khata are semi-legal or illegal constructions built upon unauthorised layouts or without occupation or completion certificates or having violated one or the other construction rules. In short, a Khata may just be a certificate but all your property related decisions are impacted greatly by this one factor.

Not the first time

Thousands of properties in the state moved to the B-Khata list ever since 2008 and this is not the first time that an attempt to regularise these properties is being tried out. Previously, such property owners in the state could BBMP Revenue Officer’s office or concerned authority’s office with the sale deed, encumbrance certificate, tax receipts, occupancy and completion certificates, betterment charges receipt, the plan documents and old khata certificate and apply for a khata transfer. While many succeeded, many failed as well.

In January this year, the state government informed the High Court that BBMP was taking steps to make the khata transfer as seamless and transparent as possible. This would include a uniform policy on applications for khata entries that would be maintained under BBMP Property Tax Rules, 2009. The possibility of inviting online applications was also being looked into.

Earlier, the BBMP had said that B-Khata properties could be regularised under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme. However, with this scheme being heard in the Supreme Court, the BBMP Commissioner, N Manjunath Prasad has clarified that B Khata can be delinked from Akrama-Sakrama.

Now that the B-Khata is set to be regularised, necessary changes and amendments need to be done in the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964.

How will the regularisation help you?

So far, you would have been unable to take bank loans, or even an occupancy certificate or a building plan approval. If you regularise, you would be able to do all this. Even re-selling your property will become far easier than before.

Over 3 lakh properties have already been given A-Khata but so far building plans and Occupancy certificates have not been issued.

The proposal to regularise now needs to be forwarded to the Cabinet. Once passed, the civic body expects to garner minimum Rs 1,000 crore and put it to build civic amenities. The BBMP says that these layouts are already equipped with basic amenities such as roads, drainage and sewerage, sanitation etc. Now, the necessary fees need to be collected. Overall, out of three lakh illegal properties in Bengaluru, one lakh are registered as B-Khata and stand a chance to be the beneficiaries of this new proposal.

Exceptions

Note that BBMP will not regularise those layouts wherein the building bylaws have been violated and have failed to procure even a B-Khata. Such cases will need to look forward to Akrama-Sakrama scheme, the BBMP Chief has clarified.