BENGLALURU: The Bengaluru East City Corporation has released a draft notification proposing significant updates to the Bengaluru City Corporation Building Bye-laws, 2003. These updates include provisions to regularize specific construction deviations from approved plans through the payment of compounding fees. Published on April 1, 2026, under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, this draft amendment is open for public feedback for 30 days before final consideration.
Key proposed changes include the removal of existing regulations regarding ground rent. Notably, the draft intends to modify Bye-law 6.0 to allow the Commissioner to regularize violations in sanctioned plans when demolition is unfeasible, provided the deviations are within acceptable limits. Deviations of up to 15% in setbacks, plot coverage, and FAR may be regularized for smaller plots (up to 500 square meters), while larger plots (over 500 square meters) may allow FAR deviations of up to 5%.
The draft also introduces a detailed compounding fee structure based on property use and guidance value, including varying penalty tiers for residential and non-residential properties. However, this proposal has faced strong opposition from resident groups, including a formal objection from the Namma Whitefield RWA Federation, which has called for its complete retraction.
Sandeep Anirudhan from Namma Whitefield RWA remarked, “This proposed amendment effectively legitimizes unauthorized constructions by allowing for post-facto regularization through compounding fees. This undermines the core principle of planning regulations, which requires development to conform strictly to sanctioned plans, rendering statutory approvals meaningless and eroding the rule of law.”
He further argued that permitting deviations up to 15% incentivizes builders to deliberately violate sanctioned plans, expecting future regularization. “This approach rewards non-compliance while penalizing compliant citizens, thereby compromising fairness and governance,” he added.
The federation has voiced concerns that this move would exacerbate Bengaluru’s already strained infrastructure, leading to increased pressure on roads, drainage systems, and emergency access.
In their objection letter, the federation argued that the amendment grants excessive discretionary authority to the Commissioner, raising transparency and misuse issues. Anirudhan mentioned that the Supreme Court has consistently emphasized that unauthorized constructions should face strict consequences, including potential demolition.
Additionally, the federation criticized the consultation process for lacking a digital or online medium for citizens to submit their objections, labeling the procedure as exclusionary and outdated.
