E-Khata delayed? Bengaluru municipal body promises auto-approval if process exceeds 5 days

Bengaluru’s municipal body has introduced an auto-approval mechanism for e-Khata applications pending beyond five days to reduce delays

Bengaluru’s e-Khata system is moving towards time-bound approvals, with the city’s municipal body stating that about 99% of applications are now processed within four to five days. Any delay beyond five working days will trigger automatic approval, according to a GBA statement.

Bengaluru’s e-Khata system is moving towards time-bound approvals, with 99% of applications cleared in 4–5 days and delays beyond this set for automatic approval, the GBA said. (Picture for representational purposes only) (Pexels)

“E-Khata services are being provided through a simple online process to make e-Khata issuance easier and eliminate the need for citizens to make any visit to government offices. . If a final e-Khata application is not attended to within five working days, the system will automatically initiate approval. So no one can hold up citizen requests in the system, just now rolled out,” Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil said in the statement.

By building an auto-approval trigger, the civic body said it will ensure that no application can be indefinitely held up, addressing a long-standing concern among property owners over procedural bottlenecks.

GBA said the fully online process has already reduced the need for physical visits and middlemen, with most applications being cleared within days if submitted correctly.

Moudgil noted that a dedicated portal has been created for citizens to submit grievances and issues related to the e-Khata application process through the official link: https://support.bbmpgov.in/ehelpline/. For individual case-related issues, citizens may also contact the official WhatsApp helpline number 9480683695 or fill up online on the same link.

What is e-Khata?

E-Khata is the electronic version of the traditional khata certificate, introduced by Bengaluru's municipal body in October 2024. This digital record is available online, where property owners can apply for, download, and verify their khata without visiting the municipal office.

The system was introduced to replace manual khata certificates (legal land ownership documents) issued by the city’s former municipal body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), with the promise of quick, online issuance within 48 hours. For homebuyers, it was expected to bring clarity to ownership records, reduce fraud, and streamline property transactions. For developers, especially those handling large projects, digitisation was meant to cut paperwork and speed up registrations.

Government to distribute 10 lakh e-Khatas in April

The government of Karnataka will distribute over 10 lakh e-Khata certificates in April as part of Bengaluru’s ongoing property record digitisation drive, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar earlier said.

Shivakumar announced that a special distribution campaign will be held on the third Sunday of April to directly issue e-Khata certificates to property owners in a streamlined manner.

"More than 10 lakh properties in Bengaluru have been covered under the e-Khata process. On the third Sunday of April, we will conduct a dedicated distribution drive to issue e-Khata certificates directly to citizens in a streamlined manner,” he said in the X post.