Bengaluru: In a major relief to owners of properties in illegal or unauthorised layouts across all the Municipal Corporations and Urban Local Body (ULB) limits, including Mysuru, the State Cabinet has decided to approve the issuance of A-Khata certificates to B-Khata properties.

This move is expected to benefit around 10 lakh properties. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said after the Cabinet meeting yesterday that the scheme will be extended to B-Khata properties, which include sites, buildings, apartments and flats that have not received approval from the respective planning authorities.

The A-Khata will be issued subject to these properties taking approval from the planning authorities, he added.

The relief is on the lines of an earlier announcement for properties in the Greater Bengaluru Authority region, where the Government is levying 5 percent of the guidance value to regularise sites. The scheme does not include the regularisation of buildings that have deviated from building bylaws.

“Regarding the grant of A-Khata to sites and buildings, including apartments and flats holding B-Khata in layouts formed without approval from the competent authority within the jurisdiction of the State’s ULBs, the Cabinet has accorded its approval,” he said.

What is B-Khata and A-Khata?

B-Khata is a property record maintained by Municipal Corporations for properties that do not fully comply with planning and legal norms. These include buildings in unauthorised layouts, constructions without approved plans or properties lacking occupancy certificates. While such properties are not fully legal, owners are still required to pay property tax and their details are recorded for taxation purposes.

B-Khata properties face several limitations. They are not considered legally valid for many purposes and face restrictions on sale, obtaining building approvals and securing trade licences. Banks and financial institutions generally do not offer loans against B-Khata properties.

In contrast, A-Khata properties are fully compliant with government regulations, including approved layouts, sanctioned building plans and mandatory certificates. They are legally valid and eligible for bank loans, trade licences and unrestricted property transactions.