Bengaluru's e-khata system faces setback as server crash erases data

A recent camp held at a large apartment complex near Nagasandra helped at least 200 property owners upload documents
to the BBMP’s e-Khata software.

While the camp seemed successful at first, its outcome was rendered meaningless due to a week-long server crash.

A major server crash, lasting for a week, caused significant data loss and the BBMP officials are still working to recover the affected records.

In late February, the BBMP experienced its first technical failure in the e-Khata software.

The officials fixed the problem. But what occurred in the first week of March was far more severe. On March 6, the crash was so severe that many khata-related documents uploaded to the website in the last ten days were lost.

Subash Shetty, a resident of the Chokkasandra ward who initiated the camp in the apartment complex near Nagasandra, said the revenue staff were helpful, but the ongoing server issues had drained them.

“About 30 people found that their data was lost in the system. We were asked to re-apply. This is going to be a punishment of sorts for the senior citizens,” he said.

He suggested that the BBMP implement a “passport-type” service so people could correct names and property sizes on the spot, rather than requiring them to visit the BBMP office.

An assistant revenue officer from BBMP’s East Zone admitted that the crash impacted work but said the system is slowly stabilizing, though it remains slow.

“Whoever are unable to find the documents, we have asked to them re-apply as it takes just about 15 minutes,” he said. 

Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner of BBMP’s Revenue Section, confirmed the software ‘crash,’ but added that the system was restored earlier this week by working over the weekend.

“We have upgraded the system, and all the documents are being retrieved. The system is back to normal now,” he said.

Sources within the BBMP told DH that someone in the IT wing may have deliberately pulled the plug on the storage device, but they are not admitting to the mistake.

“We will be able to recover the entire data. However, there may be a loss of documents uploaded in the last 24 hours before the system was restored. We have a backup,” the source said.

This is perhaps the biggest server crash the BBMP has experienced since the launch of the e-Khata system, which involves digitising 24 lakh properties and is considered one of the world’s largest digitisation efforts. The system was launched in October last year.