E-Khata now compulsory for B-Khata to A-Khata conversion in Bengaluru from November 1

As per the guidelines, only B-Khata plots measuring up to 21,527 square feet and adjoining public roads are eligible for conversion.

Property owners with B-Khata holdings will soon have to obtain an e-Khata before they can convert their properties to A-Khata under a new government drive starting on November 1. The move, introduced by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), has caught many residents off guard and sparked frustration among applicants who say the new digital step adds to an already lengthy and complex process.

Property owners will be required to pay a 5 per cent conversion fee based on the property's guidance value. (Image-Pixaby)

As per the guidelines, only B-Khata plots measuring up to 21,527 square feet and adjoining public roads are eligible for conversion. Property owners will be required to pay a 5 per cent conversion fee based on the property's guidance value, in addition to charges for land mutation and map approval, according to a report by Times of India.

Many residents, particularly from areas like Rajarajeshwarinagar, said they had already begun preparing documents for conversion when the e-Khata condition was announced.

Reportedly, Bengaluru has around 7.5 lakh B-Khata properties, but only 2.6 lakh have been upgraded to e-Khata so far. The West Zone has the highest number of conversions with 72,000, followed by North (69,000) and East (62,816).

Defending the move, Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner (Revenue), GBA, told TOI that the digital prerequisite was necessary to ensure transparency. Moudgil added that this phase of the initiative applies only to individual site owners or those with site-and-building properties, excluding apartment owners.

However, many residents argue that the issue is deeper than documentation.

A senior GBA official explained that the conversion campaign also aims to improve property tax compliance. "There are no official records of many B-khata properties, leading to loss of property tax revenue. Bringing them under the A-khata framework will help widen the city's tax base and support infrastructure development,'' the official was quoted as saying by a TOI report.