BENGALURU: For thousands of property owners in the city, obtaining an A-khata remains a significant challenge, with only 818 properties receiving this designation in the past six months, according to official data.
The process for converting B-khata properties into legally recognized A-khata properties was made public on October 15 last year. Despite there being an estimated 820,000 B-khata properties in Bengaluru, only 8,308 applications have been submitted, with only about 10% approved, leaving around 7,490 applications still pending.
“The primary hurdle isn’t administrative delays but the lack of proper documentation from applicants. Many property owners do not have approved layout plans, building sanctions, or evidence of clear road access,” noted a senior official from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Current regulations require properties on private roads to first have those roads declared public, followed by a mandatory 30-day objection period before further review and approval. “Each application necessitates legal verification, a public notice, and technical examination. It’s not merely a conversion process,” the official elaborated.
The financial implications of this conversion represent a considerable barrier. Applicants are required to pay a base fee of ₹500 and 5% of the property’s guidance value for plots up to 2,000 sqm, along with other conversion fees and penalties. Many B-khata property owners come from lower- and middle-income households, making these costs prohibitive.
“Affordability is a critical issue. Property owners are hesitant due to the cumulative costs being potentially substantial. Revisiting the fee structure is essential for encouraging greater compliance,” remarked another GBA official from the West zone.
On the positive side, digitization efforts are advancing, with over 2.51 million property records digitized across five municipal corporations. As part of the larger e-khata initiative, 960,000 applications have been received, resulting in 550,000 e-khata approvals for A-khata properties and 270,000 for B-khata properties. However, 130,000 applications have been rejected, underscoring ongoing systemic challenges.
