In a major digital reform to streamline property-related approvals, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has announced that from July 1, submission of an E-Khata will be mandatory for all online building plan applications. An E-Khata is an electronic record of property ownership.
The BBMP made the announcement in a press release announced on Monday, June 10, and said that the new rules would be applicable even for the Nambike Nakshe scheme. This follows the earlier mandate requiring E-Khatas for property transactions such as sales and mortgages, which came into effect in October 2024.
After the new rule comes into effect, people will no longer be required to manually submit property documents to the Revenue Department for verification, the release said.
The BBMP currently provides online building plan approval through the EoDB-OBPS software. Additionally, the Revenue Department of the BBMP has implemented the E-Aasthi software, through which E-Khatas are already being issued for properties within the BBMP limits.
To streamline processes, efforts are underway to integrate the EoDB-OBPS online software used by the Town Planning Department for building plan approvals with the E-Aasthi system used by the Revenue Department for issuing E-Khatas, the release said.
“From July 1, applicants must enter their E-Khata or ePID number when applying for building plan approvals online. This will significantly reduce processing time and enhance transparency,” said the BBMP.
The move is expected to simplify workflows and ensure faster delivery of services. However, it could add pressure to builders and property owners who are already facing hurdles in obtaining E-Khatas when corrections in records are required.
BBMP receives about 10,000 applications annually for new constructions, but a large number of buildings reportedly come up without approvals, especially those on 'B' khata properties, which remain ineligible for sanctioned plans.
The BBMP also addressed the ‘Trust & Verify’ model of temporary approvals granted online. According to the release, if Assistant Directors (Town Planning) fail to verify or reject an application within the designated time, the system will issue deemed approvals. In such cases, higher officials—including the Joint Director and Zonal Commissioner—are instructed to initiate disciplinary action against the concerned staff for any lapses.
As of now, five lakh E-Khatas have been issued across Bengaluru, and the BBMP says it has upgraded its infrastructure to handle 3,000 applications per day, significantly reducing backlogs. Most pending requests are now being resolved within one to two days, according to Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner (Revenue).