Tag: Greater Bengaluru Authority

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bengaluru to Hire Urban Designers for City Development

Certainly! Here’s a rewritten version of the provided content: BENGALURU: In a significant development, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will officially appoint urban designers and planners for the first time to enhance city infrastructure, including its roads, public spaces, and mobility networks. This initiative introduces specialized Urban Design Cells, signaling a transformative approach to urban planning in Bengaluru. Traditionally, issues like potholes, flooding, inadequate footpaths, and traffic chaos were often attributed to municipal shortcomings. However, experts have highlighted a more fundamental problem: GBA lacked trained professionals in urban design and planning. Many past engineering projects, conducted without design oversight, led…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Illegal Khata Scam: 6 Bengaluru Officials Suspended

BENGALURU: A significant cleanup effort was triggered within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) following a comprehensive complaint by resident Mohan Babu M. This led to the suspension of six officers and staff from the Begur sub-division for allegedly creating 128 illegal vacant-land khatas. The suspended individuals include assistant revenue officers Suresh, Hemanth Kumar, and Narasimhalu, along with revenue officer Shantesh from Bommanahalli, and second division assistants Bhagyashree and Balalingaraju. Concerns first arose when Mohan Babu contacted the GBA on April 21, 2025, reporting suspicious khata entries related to survey number 31/2 in Naganathapura village, Bengaluru South taluk. He claimed that…

IndustryLatest Stories

Bengaluru Authority Creates Ward-Level Plan to Cut Emissions

Representative AI image BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority’s Climate Action Cell (CAC) is developing a ward-level climate action plan for Bengaluru. As part of this initiative, 10 wards across five city corporations will be selected, and a specific ward climate action plan (WCAP) will be created for each. These plans will offer a comprehensive overview of current environmental conditions, primary challenges, potential solutions, and a prioritized list of actions to ensure effective execution. The CAC is forming a working group to spearhead this project. According to the recent stakeholder meeting, this group will provide technical and sectoral expertise, assist with…

Latest StoriesResidential

Bengaluru Offers One-Time Scheme for B-Khata to A-Khata Conversion

BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority revealed a ‘one-time settlement’ initiative on Wednesday, permitting all B-khata properties within its jurisdiction to apply for conversion to A-khata. A-khata refers to legitimate properties sanctioned by government planning agencies like the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). In contrast, B-khata, often termed as ‘bogus khata’, applies to properties constructed without official approval. According to GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao, “This one-time settlement grants all B-khata property owners a chance to apply for ‘single plot’ approval from the city corporations, leading to automatic conversion to A-khata.” He specified that B-khata flats or multi-storey units are not…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bengaluru AECS Layout Residents Demand Action on Illegal High-Rises

BENGALURU: Frustrated by ongoing issues such as water shortages, traffic jams, and increasing crime rates, a group of volunteers from AECS Layout, located near Brookefield and Kundalahalli, decided to take action. They conducted a survey of their area and uncovered 30 high-rises under construction that they allege are violating norms set by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Their findings revealed that numerous buildings have been erected beyond the sanctioned heights of G+2 or G+3, reaching G+6, G+7, and even G+8 floors. Residents expressed that this unauthorized vertical expansion has led to severe sewage overflow, garbage accumulation, traffic congestion, and diminished…

Latest StoriesResidential

Bengaluru: No OC Required for Homes Under 1,200 Sq Ft

BENGALURU: Constructing a home on a 30×40 site within Greater Bengaluru Authority limits has become more straightforward. In a significant development for many residents, the state government announced on Tuesday that individual houses on plots of 1,200 sqft—featuring ground-plus-two floors or stilt-plus-three floors—will no longer require an occupancy certificate (OC), reports Niranjan Kaggere. The new directive authorizes the government to exempt specific types of buildings from the mandatory OC requirement. This decision follows increasing concerns from homeowners after a recent court ruling mandated OCs even for smaller residential properties. Officials noted that this exemption aims to simplify compliance and prevent…

Latest StoriesResidential

Senior Citizens Face E-Khata Issues Amid Aadhaar Mandate in Bengaluru

Representative AI image 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…

Latest StoriesResidential

Bengaluru: 85% Flat Owners Approved in E-Khata Drive, 4K Appeals

BENGALURU: Out of 140,000 e-khata applications submitted by flat owners in the city, approximately 120,000 were approved without objections, as their tax records and sale deeds were verified as accurate, based on data from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) obtained by TOI. However, around 20,000 flats were identified with discrepancies, yet only 4,000 owners have lodged appeals to date. Authorities stress the importance of not generalizing individual cases, highlighting that 85% of flat owners have adhered to the regulations. A senior revenue official remarked, “Some residents have acknowledged their mistakes and are ready to pay the adjusted amounts; we are…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bengaluru Authority to Launch in September

BENGALURU: The state government is finalizing preparations to launch the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) on September 2. This new entity will replace the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with five municipal corporations. Draft orders for the new corporations have already been issued, objections have been considered, and a final notification is expected soon. The historic BBMP headquarters, which has housed the city’s administration since 1947, is being renovated to serve as the Chief Minister’s office in his role as Chairperson of the GBA. The Bengaluru Urban Development Minister, acting as Deputy Chairperson, will work from the upgraded Deputy Mayor’s office.…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bengaluru Blueprint Ready for Upcoming Cabinet Meeting: Deputy CM

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced on Monday that a comprehensive development roadmap for Greater Bengaluru is almost ready and will be presented to the cabinet at its next meeting. “We are in the final stages of finalizing the development plan for Greater Bengaluru,” Shivakumar told reporters, marking a significant initiative in the government’s urban governance reforms. The announcement follows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement in May regarding the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, which will see the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) replaced by a new governing body, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). On May 25, Shivakumar…