Bengaluru apartment dwellers find limited relief from government schemes addressing documentation gaps
Bengaluru apartment owners with documentation issues are finding little practical benefit from two recent government schemes—an Occupancy Certificate waiver and an A Khata conversion drive—because the schemes' eligibility criteria exclude most multi-unit residential buildings. The exemptions were designed for properties on plots smaller than 2,400 sq. ft., but apartment buildings typically exceed this threshold, leaving residents unable to obtain utility connections or regularize their properties. The situation highlights broader regulatory confusion affecting apartment governance in Karnataka, with a proposed new Apartment Bill stalled for over three years.
Following a December 2024 Supreme Court order requiring Occupancy Certificates (OC) for utility connections, the Karnataka government introduced relief measures: exempting buildings on plots under 2,400 sq. ft. from OC requirements and offering A Khata conversion for B Khata properties at 2% of guidance value. However, apartment dwellers report these schemes provide minimal practical benefit. The OC exemption applies only when the plot size—not individual flat size—is under 2,400 sq. ft., disqualifying most apartment complexes. Similarly, the A Khata conversion scheme does not cover apartment plots, leaving B Khata flat owners unable to regularize their properties. Property consultants estimate only a small subset of apartments with six units on 40x60 plots would qualify. Additionally, the proposed Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2025, which would clarify apartment governance under currently contradictory state laws, remains stalled after three years despite Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's promise to enact it.
What's missing
The article does not specify how many apartment dwellers in Bengaluru are affected by the documentation gaps or lack of utility connections, nor does it provide data on the scale of properties stuck under the December 2024 Supreme Court order.
What different sources said
- The HinduCenter
Bengaluru apartment dwellers find little relief in one-time Occupancy Certificate waiver, A Khata drive
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