Bengaluru: In a major relief to owners of unauthorised houses built on notified land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the state government has announced a fresh 100-day window, beginning June 15, to regularise such properties at half the earlier cost. This initiative aims to bring over one lakh disputed properties under the legal framework.
Key Details of the Regularisation Scheme
The decision, announced by Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar, applies to built-up properties covered under Clause 38D of BDA regulations. These are unauthorised buildings constructed before 2008 on notified BDA-acquired land that have civic amenities such as electricity and water connections.
Officials have identified more than one lakh such properties across 65 BDA layouts in Bengaluru. However, layouts like Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, Arkavathy Layout, and Shivaram Karanth Layout are excluded, as land acquisition there occurred after 2008, making them ineligible under the scheme.
Application and Payment Process
Owners can apply from June 15 for a period of three months (close to 100 days). The government will provide another three months for processing and six months to complete payment. By June 2027, the entire process is expected to be concluded. If property owners apply within the three-month window, the rates will be relaxed by 50% for regularisation, said the Deputy CM.
BDA Commissioner Manivannan P told TOI that after the time-frame given for the regularisation process is over, all such unauthorised constructions will be bulldozed.
Background and Previous Attempts
The move comes after an earlier regularisation attempt in 2020 received a poor response. Under the previous framework, property owners were required to pay charges ranging from 10% to 50% of the guidance value depending on plot size: 10% for sites below 600 sqft, 25% for 600-1,200 sqft, 40% for 1,200-2,400 sqft, and 50% for properties between 2,400 and 4,000 sqft. However, only around 600 applications were received, and none were regularised before the scheme lapsed.
Now, the government has decided to slash these charges by half in an attempt to improve participation. This means owners who earlier had to pay 50% of the guidance value will now pay 25%, while the 40%, 25%, and 10% slabs have been reduced to 20%, 12.5%, and 5%, respectively.
Eligibility and Conditions
According to BDA officials, the issue largely concerns lands that were acquired or notified for BDA layouts, where compensation had already been paid to original landowners, but houses were still being constructed — either by former landowners, subsequent buyers, or through informal transactions. In several cases, sale deeds were executed despite the lands falling under BDA notification, often through Form 9 and 10 registrations at sub-registrar offices, leaving owners with possession but no legal title.
Officials clarified that the scheme is not for vacant land and applies only to built-up properties constructed before 2008. Owners must show proof of water and electricity connections and sale-related documentation to be eligible.
Benefits for Property Owners
Many such properties currently hold B-khatas and, despite residents occupying them for years, cannot legally be sold, transferred, gifted, or formally transacted because the land legally remains with BDA. Under the revised scheme, eligible owners can obtain a BDA sale deed and legal ownership by paying the revised fee.
In many places, layouts could not be formed due to litigation or political pressure despite land being notified. This scheme is intended to settle such long-pending cases while generating revenue and giving residents proper legal documents, a BDA official explained.
Strict Action Against Post-2008 Constructions
At the same time, BDA has hardened its stance on post-2008 constructions on notified land. Officials warned that any unauthorised structures built after 2008 will not be eligible for regularisation and may face demolition, with the land reclaimed by BDA.
