Grant of khatas, plan sanctions online soon

After years of dithering, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all set to issue khatas and plan sanctions online.

Currently, khatas are issued and transferred manually. “Everything will be online with our new software. We want to ensure that both khata and building plan approval are issued in a time-bound manner,” BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told DH.

Building plans can now be submitted online, but the process is not fully online. A program checks whether a building plan complies with bylaw and zoning regulations, but the scrutiny of related documents and grant of approval are still done manually.

Model bylaw

Sources said the BBMP was inclined to accept the Model Building Bylaw 2016 document circulated by the Centre in July last year.

But some recommendations, such as deemed approval for small residential properties, are unlikely to be implemented in Bengaluru, the sources said.

The Centre’s intention of sharing the document was to promote ease of doing business.

Interestingly, the BBMP’s online initiative comes in the wake of Karnataka slipping to the 14th rank in the ease-of-doing-business rankings in 2016. A year earlier, it had been in the 9th position.

The failure to introduce online approvals for building plans was one of the reasons cited for the state ending up lower.

Corruption is rampant in generating and transferring khata, and granting building plan approvals, citizens complain.

In some prime areas, elected representatives have to give their blessings before officials process applications.

The BBMP had been talking about an online system for years, but had done little because of resistance from various quarters, the sources said.