95% drop in property registrations as Karnataka's E-Khata initiative faces major technical glitches
Property registrations in major cities like Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Mysuru have dropped dramatically by 95% as a result of a major impediment to the Karnataka government's initiative to digitize real estate transactions through the mandated e-khata registration system.
This sharp decrease comes as the stamps and registration department tries to boost revenue by keeping select sub-registrar offices open on weekends. In the first two quarters of this fiscal year, property registrations had shown a 5% increase compared to last year, generating ₹11,550 crore in revenue, up from ₹9,419 crore during the same period last year.
Out of Karnataka's 257 sub-registrar offices, only 26 in Bengaluru are exempt from the e-khata requirement. In Bengaluru, 43 sub-registrar offices are spread across five registration districts. E-khata is currently mandatory in Basavanagudi and Gandhinagar, with plans to extend it to Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, and Shivajinagar next week.
Local authorities are tasked with issuing e-khata documents, which serve as legal proof of property ownership for tax payments. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has published draft e-khatas online for the city’s 2.1 million properties. To obtain a final e-khata, property owners must download the draft and submit various electronic IDs, including the sale deed, Aadhaar e-KYC, a 10-digit Bescom number, GPS details, and a photograph of the property, along with encumbrance details. However, many individuals have faced challenges due to reported glitches on the portal and a general lack of awareness about the process.
Launched on September 9, the e-khata system was introduced in four districts to curb fraudulent transactions and was expanded to eight districts by September 23 and the entire state by October 7. However, sub-registrar offices are now witnessing a dramatic drop in registrations. “Normally, a sub-registrar office registers 50-60 properties a day, but this has plummeted to just five to six due to technical glitches with the e-khata mandate,” said a sub-registrar from Bengaluru.
In light of these ongoing issues, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda convened a meeting with BBMP and revenue officials to address the challenges, particularly in Bengaluru. “I have informed Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who has directed BBMP officials to resolve these issues promptly. These are initial glitches, and once the system stabilizes, people will benefit from the digitization,” Gowda stated.
He reassured property owners that there is no immediate deadline for obtaining an e-khata. “Only those looking to sell their properties need to secure it now; others can take their time,” he added. To assist residents with the e-khata process, helpdesks have been established at various locations, including the BBMP ARO office, Bengaluru One, and local body offices in rural areas.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
