BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly passed the Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on Tuesday, allowing municipal commissioners to regularise unauthorized buildings by imposing penalties. This has drawn parallels with the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, which is still awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court.
Urban Development Minister BS Suresha (Byrathi), while presenting the bill, stated that the amendment will only apply to unlawful structures that can be legalised under existing regulations. “This will not apply to buildings that have been slated for demolition,” he stated.
Under the new provisions, municipal commissioners are empowered to issue occupancy certificates (OCs) for buildings that lacked commencement certificates (CCs) during construction, with penalties applicable for any deviations from approved plans or zoning regulations stipulated by the bylaws. The threshold for permissible building violations has been increased from 5% to 15%.
Suresha reminded that in January 2017, the Supreme Court had stayed the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, which aimed to regularise unauthorized urban constructions for a fee. “While we cannot create rules for the Akrama-Sakrama as it is pending in court, we can regularise small sites,” he elaborated. “The specifics will be defined, primarily targeting 20×30 and 30×40 sites, which will not require CC or OC. This is to aid the poorer classes.”
Suresha stressed, “This is not akin to the Akrama-Sakrama scheme. Unlicensed properties are still subject to CC/OC requirements.”
Empanelment of Professionals
The bill also enables municipal corporations to empanel architects, engineers, structural and environmental consultants, as well as town planners as ‘authorised persons’. These professionals will inspect buildings pre-, during, and post-construction, sanction building plans, and certify compliance.
“Empanelled engineers will be allowed to approve building plans up to 4,000 sq ft,” Suresha informed the Assembly.
Moreover, the authority to approve building plans will now rest with the commissioner or chief executive of urban local bodies (ULBs) instead of elected councils. Opposition members criticized this as undemocratic, but Suresha defended the move, explaining that the councils occasionally go for extended periods without meetings, thus slowing down the sanctioning process. “This bill aims to ensure swift plan approvals,” he added.
Opposition members, including CN Ashwath Narayan, raised concerns over the clause that mandates CC and OC for electricity connections. Suresha clarified that this was in compliance with Supreme Court directives.
