Newly launched BBMP e-khata system.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

In about 107 days, since the rollout of the faceless, contactless and online e-khata issuance system, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued 1.25 lakh final e-khata to the property owners.

The www.bbmpeAasthi.karnataka.gov.in website has also recorded downloads of about 12 lakh draft khatas. 

The BBMP launched e-khata on October 1 when the state government made this digital document mandatory for registration of properties across the state. According to the BBMP, the e-khata system, which initially saw slow progress, has picked up pace gradually. The BBMP has digitised more than 22 lakh properties for the large scale programme that aims to end corruption and bring in transparency. 

The BBMP has also launched another website – https://bbmp.karnataka.gov.in/newkhata – for obtaining new e-khata for owners who do not have manual e-khata. There are about 5 lakh such properties in the city. The aim of the BBMP is to bring such properties under the tax net.

BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue), Munish Moudgil, talking to The Hindu said that at present, every day, the civic body is issuing 3,000-4,000 e-khatas. “Till January 15, we have issued 1.25 lakh final e-khata and more than 12 lakh drafts have been downloaded. We are encouraging more property owners to download drafts and secure e-khata.” 

Mr. Moudgil said in a day or two, the civic body will send out text messages and will call property owners (tax payers) asking them to download the draft and get the final e-khata. The BBMP now has the data base and those who have already secured final e-khata will be excluded from this exercise. 

Rejection

Although recently the BBMP has disabled blanket rejection options except for impersonation of property records, on the ground it appears to have little effect, multiple people are still complaining about rejection of final e-khata over name mismatch. 

The BBMP had disabled multiple options provided on the drop down for rejection of e-khata after complaints that Assistant Revenue Officers (AROs) were blindly rejecting the applications on the grounds of name mismatch and other reasons. 

Bhavana P (name changed), a property owner talking to The Hindu said her application was rejected and the reason cited was name mismatch on Aadhaar and sale deed. “We have provided all the necessary documents and ARO can easily make out that it is not an impersonation. Yet the same was rejected. I urge the BBMP to look into the same,” she said. 

This is not an isolated case. The Hindu has received at least four grievances of rejection by the AROs. Mr. Moudgil said the civic body will handhold them to rectify the problem.