Siddaramaiah issued the direction to launch the B khata campaign during a meeting with state officials from across Karnataka including district collectors earlier this week on February 18. (File photo)Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed state authorities to issue land ownership documents in the form of B khatas in the next three months for private properties developed in a partially authorised way in urban areas across the state to facilitate implementation of a new law. The move comes in the wake of the state passing a law in September 2024 to bring all urban properties under the purview of local authorities and to levy property tax on these premises with an intent to increase the municipal tax base in the state.Siddaramaiah issued the direction to launch the B khata campaign during a meeting with state officials from across Karnataka including district collectors earlier this week on February 18.“Based on the report of a cabinet sub-committee a law has been formulated and civil facilities have been provided to unauthorised, revenue settlements and properties under the jurisdiction of the… municipal corporations and local bodies, including the BBMP, and tax should be paid to the government for these properties,” the Karnataka CM said.On September 10, 2024, the state government had notified the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Act, 2024, for taxation of unauthorised buildings and properties in all cities and urban local bodies of the state.The law extended the provisions of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act, 2020, to other parts of Karnataka. Under the law properties will be levied “double the tax payable for the first year and only the property tax shall be levied for the subsequent years.”The collection of property tax “does not confer any right to regularise violation made, or title, ownership or legal status to such building or vacant land…” the law stated.Story continues below this adThe law is based on the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee that looked into the case of illegal layouts and buildings and recommended taxing the properties without regularising them, as done by the BBMP Act of 2020 in Bengaluru city.According to estimates of the state revenue department, there are a total of 55 lakh sites in cities outside Bengaluru and around 30 to 32 lakh properties do not have property recognition documents of any form to facilitate taxation. The move toward B khatas will also facilitate the issuance of electronic versions of the B khatas through the state’s e-Asthi software.While ‘A’ khata properties in cities like Bengaluru are those with legitimate documents that have been verified by state agencies, the ‘B’ khata properties include those that violate bylaws or buildings constructed without proper approvals.There are over six lakh B khata properties in Bengaluru alone. Since 2008, the BBMP has ceased issuing A khatas for properties that violate bylaws and has maintained a B register for them instead.Story continues below this adThis B register has helped the BBMP collect property taxes from B khata property owners, who, however, cannot secure bank loans or obtain occupancy/completion certificates from the BBMP.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Karnataka