BENGALURU: Numerous senior citizens in the city are facing challenges in obtaining e-Khata for properties bought by their children, who are now living abroad. The requirement for Aadhaar ID on the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) portal has left many families of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) frustrated, as they lack this form of identification.
For example, an octogenarian from RT Nagar, C V Govindharaju, is struggling to secure e-Khata for his flat purchased 22 years ago. “My son, who is a US citizen, assisted me in acquiring this apartment in 2003. However, the application for e-Khata is rejected because he does not have an Aadhaar card,” he shared.
Govindharaju pointed out that his son possesses a PAN card, which has sufficed for tax payments and other requirements. “The portal only accepts Aadhaar, but NRIs are not eligible for it. Officials claim that if he has a PAN, he must also have Aadhaar, which seems unreasonable. Why impose such obstacles on senior citizens?” he questioned.
Despite reaching out to Janasevakas and GBA’s revenue department, Govindharaju lamented that no solutions have been provided. “I’ve been navigating between offices for months, but no one is taking responsibility. This has turned into a nightmare for people like us,” he added.
Similarly, Rajagopal Varma, a retired banker from Srirampura, reported facing the same issue with e-Khata, as his daughter, who invested in the flat a decade ago, is now a US citizen without Aadhaar. “I am aware of the required documents, but this situation is shocking. Not only am I facing penalties, but my application cannot proceed. Parents sacrifice to send their children abroad and invest here, yet instead of assistance, the corporation is making life difficult for seniors like me,” Varma said.
Senior citizen organizations have raised concern over this issue, urging the BBMP to accept alternative forms of identification such as PAN and passports for NRI property owners. However, senior revenue officials at BBMP state that they are merely adhering to GBA’s directives. “The software was not developed by us; only the chief commissioner or revenue commissioner can address this,” a revenue official explained.
