BENGALURU: Property owners in Benglauru have been complaining about the hurdles they are facing in obtaining e-khatas under the ambitious online system introduced by BBMP over a month back. They regret the absence of the promised assistance from the civic body in obtaining the crucial document.
The e-khata initiative, designed to streamline property registration and enhance the security of the documents, has faced numerous software issues, delaying the issuance of the digital property records, BBMP officials acknowledge.
Several property owners TOIspoke with said they have been struggling to get ekhatas or register new properties due to the slow rollout. Many property owners sa id their names are not reflected in the system. Their complaints range from discrepancies in property owner names to address variations. Many said entering simple information, such as a 10-digit electricity bill number, is posing problems.
According to the officials, the process requires verification of old records at various revenue offices and as the integration remains incomplete, a backlog has been created.
Rajesh Gurukeerthi, a Vidyaranyapura resident, highlighted the lack of support. “BBMP revenue commissioner promised help desks at every assistant revenue officer’s office a week ago, but none has been set up. We’re constantly told to come back later to get our work done,” said Gurukeerthi.
The challenges are especially difficult for those needing to register property immediately. Guruprasad Swamy, another resident, echoed the frustration: “Property owners are asked to submit various documents at the BengaluruOne centres where e-khatas can be availed, but assistance is limited, and without complete records, it’s even tougher.”
The delay has also affected overseas property owners like Nira Jenny Andrew, who travelled from the US in Oct to finalise a property sale. “I’ve already extended my stay in India by two weeks, waiting for the e-khata process. I can’t stay longer, and it’s affecting my ability to complete the sale,” she said. “This system should have been properly planned before implementation. Those of us abroad are caught in a tough spot,” she said.
The e-khata programme is part of a larger effort to link BBMP’s E-Asset system with the Kaveri 2.0 software used at sub-registrar offices. However, until these two systems are fully integrated, ekhata documents cannot be generated or uploaded, effectively halting property registrations. The decision to outsource software development has introduced additional delays, the officials admit.
Right to Information Study Center managing trustee Amresh criticised the rushed implementation. “The e-khata initiative is beneficial in principle, but the lack of adequate planning has resulted in public inconvenience. BBMP’s delay in generating e-khata has disrupted property registrations and led to significant financial losses for the govt,” he explained.
BBMP special commissioner of revenue, Munish Moudgil, acknowledged the system’s limitations.
“We are addressing the errors. It’s a learning curve, and training for revenue officers is underway to expedite the e-khata process, which may take about a month to stabilise,” he said.
