In a significant policy shift, the Karnataka government has announced a major exemption for owners of newly constructed farmhouses and properties in rural areas of the state. The decision, announced on Wednesday, relieves specific categories of residential buildings within gram panchayat (GP) limits from the mandatory requirement of obtaining an occupancy certificate (OC) from authorities.
Details of the Exemption Notification
The exemption, issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department, applies specifically to newly-constructed residential buildings built on 30x40 square feet plots in rural areas falling under gram panchayat jurisdiction. According to the official notification, the relaxation takes effect immediately.
The order states: "Any residential building comprising ground floor plus two floors (G+2) or stilt plus three floors (Stilt+3), constructed on a 30x40 sqft plot in rural areas under gram panchayat jurisdiction, will be exempted from obtaining a mandatory occupancy certificate, even if the construction was carried out without prior approval or plan sanction from the jurisdictional authorities."
Addressing Administrative Delays and Burden
This move comes as a direct response to the cumbersome and time-consuming inspection process that was previously mandatory. Until this exemption, newly-built structures in rural GP areas had to undergo a detailed inspection before an OC could be issued. This process involved:
- Site visits by gram panchayat officials and town planning authorities.
- Verification of certificates from recognized engineers and architects.
- Scrutiny of all plan approvals and documentation.
The government noted that these procedures were significantly adding to the workload of staff at local bodies, many of which are already understaffed and overburdened. The existing process caused substantial delays in file disposal and hindered the delivery of various government services.
"To ease administrative pressure and ensure faster service delivery, these rules were relaxed, and residential buildings constructed on 30x40 sqft plots were exempted from obtaining OCs," the government order clarified.
Practical Impact and Relief for Property Owners
The absence of an occupancy certificate had become a critical roadblock for countless property owners in rural Karnataka. Following recent Supreme Court guidelines that linked the provision of basic amenities to valid OCs, electricity supply companies (Escoms) and local bodies were refusing to provide essential services. This included:
- Electricity connections
- Water supply
- Drainage connections
The new exemption directly removes this hurdle, allowing owners of eligible properties to access these vital utilities without the OC bottleneck. This policy aligns with a similar exemption issued a few weeks ago for newly-built properties within the jurisdiction of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and other local bodies, indicating a broader governmental push to streamline property regularization processes.
The decision is expected to provide immediate relief to a large number of property owners in the state's rural hinterlands, simplifying compliance and accelerating access to essential civic services.
