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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed officials to regularize illegal residential layouts by issuing B-Khata as a one-time settlement within three months. This initiative aims to provide relief to property owners while increasing government revenue. The e-Khata system, already implemented in Mangaluru, Belagavi, and Bengaluru, seeks to enhance transparency, minimize corruption, and digitize property records. However, challenges such as data mismatches and incomplete ownership details have slowed adoption. The government's success in resolving these issues will determine the long-term effectiveness of e-Khata in streamlining property documentation, improving tax compliance, and simplifying real estate transactions across Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has recently instructed the officials to bring an end to illegal residential layouts across the state by providing B-Khata as a one-time settlement. He directed that the process must be done within three months for giving relief to the property owners and bringing revenue to the government. Advertisement
In Karnataka, properties in approved layouts are given A-Khata, while properties in unapproved layouts are assigned under B-Khata. The Chief Minister emphasized that unauthorised settlements are found in cities, towns, and villages, resulting in a loss of government revenue and absence of civic amenities for residents. He made it clear that unauthorised layouts would be regularised by issuing B-Khata, but such illegal developments should not occur again in the future.
According to the state government's initiative, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has already started providing e-Khatas for unauthorised properties. The e-Khata system was initially launched within MCC boundaries in 2022 and has been given out in the form of 39,000 e-Khatas so far. Earlier, e-Khatas were given only to legally accepted properties registered in the e-property software. But changes in the Karnataka Municipalities Act have made it possible to issue e-Khata for unauthorised plots registered prior to 10 September 2024, making property transactions easier.
Likewise, Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) has declared an 'e-Khata Mela' in Belagavi. BCC Commissioner Shuba B said that the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Bengaluru, had released standard operating procedures (SOP) on 17 February for e-Khata issuance via e-ACI software. The state government plans to issue e-Khatas for all pending properties within urban local body jurisdictions within three months. Applicants are required to produce the specified documents, such as sale deeds, donation deeds, partition deeds, property tax receipts, and ownership proofs, in order to get A or B-Khata certificates.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched the e-Khata system on 1 October to ensure online management of property. The e-Khata system seeks to bring transparency, minimize corruption, and use blockchain technology to make secure property records.
The web facility is expected to solve long-standing issues regarding reported harassment and delays commonly faced at BBMP offices. By doing away with the necessity of physical visits, the BBMP hopes to induce more property owners to get their khata registration done and help the city's property tax collections. It is looking to bring nearly five lakh properties that are currently out of the tax bracket into its fold.
Despite good intentions, the adoption of the e-Khata system has been slow due to issues like name discrepancies and mismatched data, discouraging owners from proceeding. A more recent concern is its failure to accurately reflect land ownership details for residential apartment complexes. While sale deeds explicitly mention undivided share (UDS) ownership and it is recorded in the Kaveri Online database, some residents claim the BBMP's e-Khata system does not incorporate this information. In Karnataka, sale deeds include three schedules: Schedule A (land extent), Schedule B (UDS purchased by the buyer), and Schedule C (apartment details). The exclusion of Schedule A details from e-Khatas has led to confusion over property ownership.
The Karnataka government's push for e-Khata aims to streamline property documentation, enhance transparency, and improve tax compliance. While the initiative holds promise, its effectiveness depends on addressing existing technical and administrative challenges, such as data mismatches and incomplete ownership records. Ensuring a smooth transition, particularly for apartment owners and those in unauthorised layouts, will be key to its success. If implemented efficiently, the e-Khata system can provide long-term benefits by simplifying property transactions, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and boosting government revenue while safeguarding the interests of property owners across the state.
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