BENGALURU: In a significant development, the Karnataka government has granted relief to building owners statewide who have deviated by up to 15% from their sanctioned plans. Owners can now apply for revised plans by paying a designated fine that corresponds to the extent and nature of their deviations.
While this current order does not cover the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA), residents can look forward to potential good news. The town planning unit in GBA is working on a similar draft bill aimed at regularizing building deviations of up to 15% in Bengaluru.
Officials stated that since the GBA is not governed by the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, a separate but analogous bill is being prepared for the city. The draft notification is anticipated to be released in the coming weeks to gather public feedback before the final notification is issued.
BN Girish, the additional director of town planning (GBA), mentioned that the government will assess the draft once it is complete.
On Friday, the government established fines for violations of approved building plans across all urban local bodies (ULBs). The penalties range from ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 per square meter, depending on the building type and jurisdiction. For example, fines for violations within town panchayat limits are set at ₹1,000 per sqm, while city corporation fines for residential buildings are ₹2,000 per sqm. Moreover, a standard fine of ₹5,000 has been set for violations related to car parking provisions.
Urban Development Minister BS Suresha explained to TOI that previously, only deviations up to 5% could be regularized. “There has been a persistent demand to raise this limit to 15%, as many other states have provisions for such cases. To assist the public, the government has amended the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Act to allow the regularization of deviations up to 15%,” he noted.
Suresha further elaborated that many building owners were previously unable to secure occupation certificates due to deviations from approved plans, and in some cases, neighbors obtained court orders for demolition based on these issues. A majority of the violations were related to setbacks and parking areas from owners of smaller plots. This initiative is expected to provide relief to countless owners throughout the state.
He added that the fines for regularizing these plan deviations are modest and aimed at helping the public rather than generating state revenue. According to the government’s order, fines have been classified into three areas: setbacks, car parking, and floor area ratio (FAR). The penalty for car parking violations remains fixed at ₹5,000 across all ULBs, while setbacks and FAR penalties vary. In corporation limits, the fine is ₹2,000 per sqm for residential, industrial, and other buildings, and ₹3,000 per sqm for commercial structures.
