BENGALURU: In a significant move for property owners struggling to secure occupancy certificates due to minor deviations, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is set to increase the permissible deviation from sanctioned building plans from 5% to 15%.
The GBA’s draft notification proposes an amendment to the 2003 building bye-laws, suggesting a notable shift in urban regulatory policy. Enforcement actions, including potential demolition, will continue for deviations exceeding 15%.
Stakeholders can submit objections and suggestions until April 30, after which the amendments will be finalized.
Under current regulations, any construction surpassing the approved plan by more than 5% is deemed unauthorized, leaving numerous buildings without occupancy certificates, which in turn hampers access to essential civic services such as water and electricity.
Officials noted that the proposed change comes with specific conditions: buildings must comply with critical safety standards, structural integrity, adequate ventilation, and accessibility. The draft also empowers commissioners to approve cases where demolition would threaten structural integrity.
GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao indicated that the previous limit was impractical given the city’s high land prices and dense development patterns, where small plot sizes and spatial constraints often result in deviations in setbacks, floor area ratio, and overall coverage.
The new framework also introduces a compounding fee system to regularize deviations, calculated based on land guidance values, along with established limits for setbacks, floor area ratio, building height, and plot coverage to standardize enforcement.
