Bengaluru real estate update: OC not required for buildings constructed on plots larger than 1,200 sq ft

The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to exempt OC for buildings built on plots exceeding 1,200 sq ft, subject to verification and compliance checks

The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to exempt residential buildings constructed on plots larger than 1,200 square feet within Bengaluru limits from the mandatory requirement of obtaining an Occupancy Certificate (OC). The decision follows mounting public pressure over electricity connections being withheld for thousands of completed houses lacking approved plans and OCs.

The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to exempt an occupation certificate (OC) for residential buildings constructed on plots larger than 1,200 square feet within Bengaluru limits. (Representational Photo) (Unsplash )

Under the exemption, structures built on plots exceeding 1,200 sq ft, subject to verification and compliance checks, will be eligible for basic civic amenities like electricity even without an OC, according to a Bengaluru Mirror report.

The move comes after the Supreme Court (SC) had earlier made OC mandatory for power connections, leaving over 3.3 lakh completed buildings across the state of Karnataka without electricity. However, the cabinet has now decided to provide one-time relief by framing a specific law, enabling such buildings to get legal electricity connections, the report said.

The report said the new exemption for larger buildings follows an earlier Karnataka Cabinet decision that allows OC waivers for buildings up to 1,200 sq ft.

According to the report, not all large buildings will be exempted, and the government has the power to selectively grant relief after verification. The report said that penalties will be imposed on rule violators, and new legal measures will be introduced in the legislature to prevent this violation.

How is it in other states?

Currently, more than 25,000 buildings in Mumbai do not have a legal OC. However, the municipal corporation and the electricity distributor provide legal connections of both water and electricity to these buildings, regardless of their size, on a humanitarian basis.

However, the municipal corporation charges additional fees per unit of water consumption for housing societies having water connections without a legal OC.