‘Nanna e-Khata, Nanna Hakku’ open houses draw decent crowd on first outing

The first-of-its-kind initiative, ‘Nanna e-Khata, Nanna Hakku’, launched by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to deliver khata-related services at 52 open houses across the city, received a decent response on its first outing. Such open houses will henceforth be held every Saturday.

On May 16, for both e-Khata and khata conversions, the total applications stood at 1,505, according to GBA data. 

This response came in the backdrop of extensive publicity. While the primary focus was on B-Khata to A-Khata conversion and issuance of e-Khata, many citizens visited the centres seeking khata corrections, mutations, and new khatas as well.

Jayashree Pradeep, a senior citizen and resident of Koramangala 4th Block, who visited the centre in Adugodi, said she obtained the e-Khata for one of the three properties she owns. “I had been running from one office to another multiple times over the past year. I had even attended an e-Khata mela held last year. But I couldn’t get the khata because every time, the officers directed me to another official,” she said.

Another visitor, a resident of Venkatapura in Jakkasandra who did not wish to be named, told The Hindu that many residents of Jakkasandra had not received their e-Khata because their property’s ePID number was missing from the records. “This happened because record book numbers 6 and 7 were either not scanned properly or were missing. They have now rectified the issue using the 2024 SAS records,” he said. “Now, many residents in my neighbourhood will be able to get their e-Khata without any issue,” he added.

According to officials at the centre, they were prepared with all records and had rectified issues that had surfaced in the past before launching the initiative. The officers said they received more requests for e-Khata-related services, while applications for B to A-Khata conversion were negligible.

Bhagya, a resident of Shanthinagar, said, “Usually, civic body officials are unresponsive and unapproachable. Today, they did not make us run around to different officials or give unnecessary reasons. Instead, they addressed our issues,” she said.

However, some issues persisted. Citizens who had earlier registered for B to A-Khata conversion, when the conversion cost was 5% of the guidance value, were also supposed to receive a 60% discount, bringing the fee down to 2% of the guidance value of the area where the plot is located. An order issued on May 15 stated that even those who had applied earlier would be eligible for the concession. However, the same was not reflected in the software, and for many applicants, the conversion cost still appeared as 5%.

No bribes, please

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who visited one of the centres on May 16, said the initiative ensures that citizens receive khata services without paying any bribe.

“The public should not pay even a single rupee as a bribe to anyone. No bribes should be given to officials or members of any political party. As the sixth guarantee, we are offering Bhu Guarantee. If the site you purchased earlier was at a lower price, the Khata conversion will increase the value of the property,” he said, urging citizens to make use of the opportunity.