<p>Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the state government is moving decisively to introduce the Karnataka Apartment Bill 2025, aimed specifically at protecting the interests of apartment owners and residents.</p><p>Speaking at a special interaction with apartment residents at the Vidhana Soudha, the DyCM called for comprehensive feedback to shape the legislation. “This government stands by apartment owners and residents. We are meeting apartment owners and residents to collect their feedback for the proposed Bill,” the DyCM stated. He urged those who missed the session to submit their suggestions via email to gbasuggesion@gmail.com within the next 10 days.</p><p>The move comes against the backdrop of the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, which, according to the DyCM, no successive government has attempted to update despite the massive proliferation of apartment complexes in Bengaluru. Shivakumar highlighted that a significant 19 per cent of Bengaluru’s population comprises apartment dwellers.</p>.57-year-old businessman attacked by airgun pellet in Bengaluru.<p><strong>Seeking support for upcoming election </strong></p><p>The interaction, however, took a political turn when the DyCM sought cooperation from the apartment community in the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections. “We are bringing this Bill which was not brought by the other governments. While we are working for your welfare, we seek your support in the upcoming GBA election,” he stated.</p><p>He candidly recalled the lack of electoral support from the community in the past, despite the government stepping in to help during the severe borewell crisis that saw 6,000 borewells dry up in the city. "My brother lost by 1 lakh votes in one constituency during the parliamentary election. Naturally, I felt disappointed at the time," he admitted, yet reaffirmed his commitment to incorporating their suggestions before the Bill is tabled.</p><p>He also pointed out the tangible benefits the current government has already delivered, including up to 200 units of free power even to apartments and the provision of an installment scheme for obtaining water connections for apartment dwellers. The DyCM noted that the formation of the GBA itself is part of a larger plan to ensure better governance for a city that has grown "too big."</p><p>The proposed Bill, once drafted with public input and discussed with MLAs, is expected to be a comprehensive step towards addressing decades-old issues faced by the apartment community across the state.</p><p><strong>Not scared of threats </strong></p><p>Taking a hard stance against attempts to leverage the issue for political gain, Shivakumar sharply reacted to a letter from a resident named Kiran Hebbar, who had allegedly threatened that the apartment owners could influence the GBA elections if the government did not heed their demands. “One must have basic common sense who they are talking to? We are not scared of threats,” the DyCM asserted. He stressed that the government was reaching out to them out of respect and willingness to serve, not out of fear. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the state government is moving decisively to introduce the Karnataka Apartment Bill 2025, aimed specifically at protecting the interests of apartment owners and residents.</p><p>Speaking at a special interaction with apartment residents at the Vidhana Soudha, the DyCM called for comprehensive feedback to shape the legislation. “This government stands by apartment owners and residents. We are meeting apartment owners and residents to collect their feedback for the proposed Bill,” the DyCM stated. He urged those who missed the session to submit their suggestions via email to gbasuggesion@gmail.com within the next 10 days.</p><p>The move comes against the backdrop of the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, which, according to the DyCM, no successive government has attempted to update despite the massive proliferation of apartment complexes in Bengaluru. Shivakumar highlighted that a significant 19 per cent of Bengaluru’s population comprises apartment dwellers.</p>.57-year-old businessman attacked by airgun pellet in Bengaluru.<p><strong>Seeking support for upcoming election </strong></p><p>The interaction, however, took a political turn when the DyCM sought cooperation from the apartment community in the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections. “We are bringing this Bill which was not brought by the other governments. While we are working for your welfare, we seek your support in the upcoming GBA election,” he stated.</p><p>He candidly recalled the lack of electoral support from the community in the past, despite the government stepping in to help during the severe borewell crisis that saw 6,000 borewells dry up in the city. "My brother lost by 1 lakh votes in one constituency during the parliamentary election. Naturally, I felt disappointed at the time," he admitted, yet reaffirmed his commitment to incorporating their suggestions before the Bill is tabled.</p><p>He also pointed out the tangible benefits the current government has already delivered, including up to 200 units of free power even to apartments and the provision of an installment scheme for obtaining water connections for apartment dwellers. The DyCM noted that the formation of the GBA itself is part of a larger plan to ensure better governance for a city that has grown "too big."</p><p>The proposed Bill, once drafted with public input and discussed with MLAs, is expected to be a comprehensive step towards addressing decades-old issues faced by the apartment community across the state.</p><p><strong>Not scared of threats </strong></p><p>Taking a hard stance against attempts to leverage the issue for political gain, Shivakumar sharply reacted to a letter from a resident named Kiran Hebbar, who had allegedly threatened that the apartment owners could influence the GBA elections if the government did not heed their demands. “One must have basic common sense who they are talking to? We are not scared of threats,” the DyCM asserted. He stressed that the government was reaching out to them out of respect and willingness to serve, not out of fear. </p>