Latest news with #GreaterBengaluruAuthority
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Urban experts call for expansion of civic limits to include urbanised villages
While there has been general concurrence among urban planners and experts on the way the city's civic limits have been divided into five corporations , many argue that the municipal limits should have been expanded to include areas beyond today's civic limits that are urbanised. 'We seem to be trying to solve yesterday's problem and not tomorrow's. We are confronting this problem because we did not anticipate this years ago. We still do not seem to be addressing a ground reality that most of the new migrants into the city are settling outside the civic limits, urbanising those areas,' said urban expert Ashwin Mahesh, arguing for four more corporations beyond the civic limits, all to be brought under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). GBA has been notified to be the BBMP area only, with a promise to be expanded at a later stage. Initially, there was a proposal to include at least 25 urbanised villages beyond the civic limits in the GBA. However, that was put on hold. Sources said while GBA will be expanded, areas beyond the civic limits may be municipalised or kept under zilla panchayats and their representatives be given a seat at the GBA. Given the disparity in revenue generation capacity of the five corporations and the role of the Chief Minister-led GBA to bring in a balance through State grants, N.S. Mukunda of Bengaluru Praja Vedike, said that there was a need to develop a comprehensive ward development index which becomes an impartial and transparent yardstick to allocate funds. 'A corporation that may need money may elect an opposition party to that in power in the State, and this can create a situation where that corporation may be starved of funds and development. We should ideally avoid such situations. If an impartial development index becomes the yardstick, we can hope to achieve some balance over the next few years,' he said. Mr. Mahesh also said that given the wide disparity in area and population of these corporations, delimitation of wards will end up with unequal wards, a problem that already plagues the city. He said each corporation should be allowed to have its own delimitation exercise to ensure equal representation within that corporation. However, others oppose this argument. 'According to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, each corporation can have a maximum of 150 wards. To bring parity in the larger GBA area, we can ensure a corporation with a smaller population will have a lesser number of wards and those with a larger population more wards,' an official said.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka Cabinet nod for regularisation of B-Khata properties under GBA
BENGALURU: Bringing much relief to harried property owners, the State Cabinet has given the go-ahead for regularisation of B-Khata properties that comes under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and that were issued before September 2024. Law Minister HK Patil said the decision has been taken to bring discipline in controlling the illegal and uncontrolled building and layouts. He said a detailed order will be issued by the government on the parameters. According to sources, owners of B-Khata properties will get certificates which they were deprived and this is expected to give some legal sanctity, where they can sell properties, avail loan from bank and even mortgage. 'B-Khatas needs to be regulated & controlled' Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Patil said there will be certain parameters to avail A- Khata. 'To avail B-Khata, there will certain parameters too. While A-Khata will be a perfect document, B-Khata certificates will be issued for properties with some lacunae, but with some exemption,' he said. He said this is also applicable to revenue sites too. A detailed order will be issued immediately. The note also specifies the unauthorised construction and unplanned development has led to issue of lakhs of B-Khatas which needs to be regulated and controlled. 'There is a need to bring B-Khata properties into the control and regulation of Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act. The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act prohibits issuance of B-Khata for unauthorised properties created or constructed after September 30, 2024. The concept of B-Khata was introduced in 2009 and therefore all Khatas issued before 2009 were A-Khata or proper khata,' it stated. Govt to withdraw de-notification of land Minister Patil said the Cabinet has decided to withdraw de-notification of land in 29 cases. The land was acquired by Bengaluru Development Authority and notification was issued by the government for the same. After the final notification, there is no provision to scrap or drop it. But some officials de-notified and action will be taken against them, he said.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Karnataka Cabinet clears move to regularise unauthorised properties in Greater Bengaluru Authority area
In a bid to regularise buildings and layouts in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits, the Karnataka Cabinet Thursday decided to issue Khatas to all properties in the city, subject to conditions. Addressing a news conference following the Cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said that those who do not have a Khata will be issued the same by the government. 'When giving it, we will specify the parameters. If they (property owners) comply with the parameters, then B-khata will be issued,' he said, noting that a detailed order regarding it would be issued soon. Those satisfying a list of eight parameters specified by the government will be issued B-Khata, he said. For a property to receive A-Khata, there will be 11 conditions. 'If you comply with it, you will get A-Khata,' he said. While A-Khata is a perfect certificate for a property, B-Khata certificates were issued for properties that had 'some lacunae', according to the minister. According to the Cabinet note related to the subject, 'the unauthorised constructions and unplanned development has led to issuance of lakhs of 'B Khatas' which also need to be regulated and controlled.' The concept of issuing B-Khata for unauthorised properties was introduced in 2009. At present, B-Khata property remains outside the purview of the Karnataka Town & Country Planning (KTCP) Act, 1961. The constructions in B-Khata remain unregulated and resulting in gross violations, which lead to unsafe buildings, the note said. 'In recent years, the buildings in Bengaluru which collapsed during rains were found to be ones constructed on 'B Khata' and without control and regulation of the KTCP Act, 1961. While such a property, practically, gets all the facilities such as roads, drains and other civic support but remain outside the regulation and control of the KTCP Act 1961. Therefore, there is a need to bring even the B-Khata properties into the control and regulation of the KTCP Act 1961,' it said. The proposal, according to the note, was aimed at 'bringing discipline and regulation to unregulated and illegal constructions and layout formations which not only clutter and choke Bengaluru city but cause endless misery to citizens.' The Cabinet also approved the parameters specified to issue A-Khata to buildings proposed on vacant sites which have B-Khata, to buildings already constructed on unauthorised layout/land/sites either without any Khata or B-Khata from BBMP, and multi-unit flats constructed in violation of various Acts on a single plot without a Khata, among others. In another decision, the Cabinet decided to withdraw denotification of land in 29 cases and to initiate action against the officials and staff behind the order. This was in connection with the lands acquired by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), for which primary and final notification was issued by the government. The denotification pertained to around 56 acres of land. 'After the final notification (for land acquisition) is issued, there is no provision to drop the land. Still, they were denotified,' the minister said.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Citizens' forum moves Karnataka High Court seeking stay on formation of Greater Bengaluru Authority
As the state government goes ahead with its plans to split Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into multiple corporations, Citizens' Action Forum (CAF), a group of people and civil society leaders, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on several sections of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act 2024 and declaring them as unconstitutional, arbitrary, and unreasonable. The PIL seeks to strike down the establishment of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), its composition, powers, and functions, including urban planning, infrastructure development, and coordination of local bodies. The GBA can issue directives, acquire land, manage funds, and delegate powers to municipal corporations, which are also tasked with managing public markets, collecting taxes, and forming ward committees for local governance. The petition challenges sections 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 85, 95, 96, 100(2)(iv), 101, 103(4), 129(2), 130, 137(2), 145, and 249 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, which was notified by the state government on April 24. The PIL also contests provisions allowing the GBA to borrow funds, prepare budgets, and undergo audits, as well as the state government's rule-making powers and the repeal of conflicting laws such as the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. Vijayan Menon, vice-president of CAF, told The Indian Express, 'The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, blatantly violates the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which entrusts city governance to municipalities as the third tier of governance. The amendment calls for devolving power to local bodies, but this Bill hands control to the state government and bureaucracy, stripping away local authority. The Greater Bengaluru Authority, set up under the Bill, is dominated by the chief minister and bureaucrats, with elected leaders, including mayors, relegated to a mere 1:5 ratio in representation.' He said the state's role should be oversight, not running the city. 'By marginalizing elected representatives, the Bill undermines the democratic principles meant to empower our municipalities,' he said. The petitioner has requested the court to issue a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ to strike down the sections. Additionally, the petitioner has sought an interim stay on the operation of these sections until the final disposal of the case, citing urgency and grounds for interim relief. The petition is set to be listed for a preliminary hearing before the Division Bench of the High Court. Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar said on Tuesday that the new Greater Bengaluru Authority would have five city corporations under it. This comes ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, where the subject is likely to be discussed, before the new corporations are notified by the government. 'We have formed the GBA. After this, we will definitely form five corporations,' he said in Bengaluru, speaking at a convention of implementation committees for the Congress government's various guarantee schemes. Shivakumar said elections would be held soon for the new bodies. There has been some opposition to dividing BBMP into smaller bodies, but the split is essential to improve administration in the city, he added. Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, who headed a joint legislature committee on the GBA Act, had said that each of the smaller corporations was likely to have 80 to 100 corporators. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Renaming of Bengaluru North, South, Greater Authority rollout spark investor interest
BENGALURU: With Bengaluru's neighbouring districts, Ramanagara and Bengaluru Rural renamed Bengaluru North and Bengaluru South respectively, real estate experts say it has ignited a renewed interest, especially among Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who are rushing to invest along Kanakapura and Mysuru roads. They opined that the renaming, along with the rollout of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, has dramatically shifted the investor behaviour, as investors, especially NRIs, now prefer to invest in larger plots in these locations that were once overlooked as villages. They said there is also an interest spike in rural belts beyond Nelamangala, Harohalli, Hosur border and Magadi Road, among others. Proptech startup Homely Yours founder Alok Priyadarshi said, 'We have been tracking a noticeable behavioural shift among NRIs ever since the Greater Bengaluru announcement. On our platform, we recorded a 68% Q-o-Q jump in plot inquiries across Mysuru Road and a 23% spike along Kanakapura Road, with majority of these coming from NRIs based in the UAE, Singapore, Australia and the US.' He said, 'Interestingly, 72% of NRI buyers in these corridors are opting for plots that are above 2,400 sqft, with a focus on a long-term vision for lifestyle-led development, rather than short-term flipping. Localities like Hampapura, Ramohalli, Donnenahalli, and fast-rising belts near Magadi Road and Kumbalagodu, which were previously considered rural buffers, are now being re-evaluated as high-potential investment zones.' He said, 'Parallelly, we have also seen a 41% surge in listings by landowners in these pockets. Many listings are from generational landholders who previously had no interest in liquidating, but are now recognising the premium value their land commands post the Greater Bengaluru announcement.'
