Bill passed to eliminate fine on illegal properties within BBMP limits

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (Amendment) Bill 2023, which seeks to eliminate a fine for illegal or unapproved properties within BBMP limits, has been approved by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

More than 6.16 lakh Bengaluru property owners who own B Khata properties will no longer be subject to double tax as a result of the modification. The action by the government is perceived as an attempt to win over voters with only a few months till the Assembly elections.

The civic body had the authority to collect "double the tax payable" on buildings and unoccupied land, or both, that broke building byelaws or were built according to an unauthorised plan, according to Section 144(6) of the BBMP Act.

Buildings constructed on revenue land or those occupied without occupancy or completion certificates were subject to property tax collection by the BBMP in the past. Such structures would generate twice as much property tax revenue as necessary.

A-Khata properties are those with legitimate papers that have been approved by government organisations. Anomalies in the documentation for B Khata properties include byelaw-breaking properties and buildings that were built without approval of the construction plan. The BBMP ceased giving A Khata to premises that are in contravention of bye-laws in 2008. It also began to keep a B registry. This helped the BBMP in obtaining property tax payments from B Khata property owners.

At the government level, there were conversations about turning B Khata properties into A Khatas in order to regularise them. This, however, never saw the light of day.

The civic organisation introduced KhataAndolana on Monday to allow property owners who have a home inside municipal boundaries but do not have a Khata to register their homes in the Form A register, commonly known as A Khata.

Khata aids in the BBMP's tax collection efforts. It is a record of a property's assessment, containing information about the property's size, location, and building area for the purpose of paying property tax.

Individuals who own property inside the BBMP's limits but do not have any Khata can go to the assistant revenue officers' jurisdictional offices.