The state has decided to issue ‘A’ khata certificates to over 2.5 lakh ‘B’ khata properties in all city corporation limits across the state in two months.
“This is a long-pending demand. Several legal issues have to be discussed before the formal decision. We have decided to start issuing ‘A’ khata certificates in two months,” said urban development minister Byrati Basavaraju.
‘A’ khata’ properties are those with genuine documents and verified by state agencies. ‘B’ khata properties have anomalies in documentation and include properties with violation of bye-laws and buildings constructed without plan approval.
Since 2008, several corporations, including BBMP, have stopped issuing ‘A’ khatas to properties which are in violation of bye-laws and started maintaining a ‘B’ register which came to be known as ‘B’ khata properties.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who chaired a meeting of urban development department officials last week, asked officials to convert all ‘B’ khata sites into ‘A’ khatas by collecting betterment charges. In Bengaluru alone, there are around 6.6 lakh ‘B’ khata properties. The meeting also discussed implications of the interim stay granted by the Supreme Court (in July 2017) on Akrama Sakrama, the regularisation of unauthorised developments.
The officials suggested not to regularise all illegal constructions until the final judgment. The government has decided to regularise properties which have minimum violations. There are over 2.5 lakh ‘B’ khata properties in all 10 city corporations of the state with minimal violations.
Since they are semi-illegal, corporations are not providing basic amenities to such properties or layouts. Officials said corporations will begin fixing a tariff that will be levied on properties built on revenue sites soon before issuing ‘A’ khata certificates. “The move, besides helping owners, will also help city corporations get substantial revenue which can be used for development of layouts,” the minister added.
The BBMP, in its budget for 2022-23, had an estimated revenue of Rs 1,000 crore by converting ‘B’ khata properties into ‘A’ khata. Revenue site owners said they have been awaiting this for the past few years as it will push up their site value and make them eligible for higher loans from banks. Water dues The minister said consumers owe Rs 600 crore to all city corporations towards water bills and the government is mulling a one-time settlement for defaulters. “The details will be announced soon,” he said.
He added: “The government is planning a scheme to regularise illegal drinking water connections in urban local bodies by taking undertakings from owners.” A drinking water project has been planned at a cost of Rs 9,335 crore, keeping in mind the needs of cities by 2040. “A proposal has been submitted to the chief minister,” the minister said.
