A year ago, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) decided to delink B-Khata from Akrama Sakrama scheme in what seemed as a major relief to many property owners in the city. However, precious little has been done after the announcement was made.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad told The Hindu that the civic body had submitted a proposal to the government with regard to delinking B-Khata and regularising properties for a fee. The government, in March 2018, amended the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, paving the way for this.
“The State government also formed a committee, including Deputy Commissioner (Urban) and senior officials. We have been asked to work out the rules and regulations for delinking B-Khata from Akrama Sakrama,” said Mr. Prasad, who added that the committee is likely to meet after one week. He said the committee would submit a report to the new Bengaluru Development Minister.
After the government directed the civic body to stop issuing A-Khata (permanent tax record) in 2008, thousands of properties were given B-Khata (temporary tax record) for the purpose of collecting property tax. However, owners of such properties are unable to avail bank loans, get building plan approvals or occupation certificates.
Once B-Khata is delinked from Akrama Sakrama, such property owners will be able to avail bank loans, get building plan approvals, occupancy and completion certificates. They will also be able to sell the property at the prevailing market rates.
Currently, B-Khata property owners are in a quandary, as they are not able to even divide the property or sell it.
The civic body will be able to garner more than ₹1,000 crore by way of fines / penalties for regularisation, highly placed sources said.
The government had earlier stated that B-Khata properties could be regularised under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme. However, with the Akrama-Sakrama scheme being heard in the Supreme Court, the property owners with B-Khata were in a limbo.
Nearly 3.8 lakh properties in the city are classified under B-Khata, of which over 1 lakh are vacant sites. Most of these properties come under the newly added areas — 110 villages, one Town Municipal Council and 7 City Municipal Councils.
Sources clarified that while building deviations would still have to be regularised once Akrama Sakrama is implemented, the delinking would benefit only vacant sites on land without requisition change in land use and those in unauthorised layouts. This, they maintained, would make way for orderly growth in the city.
What is A-Khata and B-Khata
A-Khata and B-Khata are two types of khatas (records) created by the BBMP for the purpose of property tax collection.
Properties in the city are classified under two registers (khatas). While under A-Khata register is a list of all legal properties, those under the B-Khata register are those that are in violation of government regulations.
For instance, properties / sites in unauthorised layouts or on layouts formed on revenue land, buildings that don’t conform to bylaws of the BBMP, buildings constructed without building plan approval or those that don’t have Completion Certificate or Occupation Certificate are classified as B-Khata properties. Owners of such properties find it difficult to sell it at the market rate, can’t apply for building plan approval or licences or avail of bank loans.
