Karnataka govt excludes stilt floors from building height calculation to promote in-premise parking
Bengaluru: In a bid to promote parking within private premises, the Karnataka government has issued a significant amendment to its building regulations, excluding stilt floors used for parking from the overall calculation of a building’s height.
As per a recent government notification, cited by Deccan Herald on Monday, the maximum permissible height for stilt floors has been capped at 3 metres, replacing an earlier proposal of 4.5 metres. The initial draft was revised following public feedback over concerns of potential misuse for commercial purposes.
Previously, the permissible stilt floor height was limited to 2.4 metres—considered insufficient by many, particularly due to frequent damage by vehicles to water and sanitary pipelines affixed to the ceilings. The new rules apply to properties falling within the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and are part of a broader set of revisions related to building height, stilt floor usage, and setback norms.
One of the key takeaways from the notification is that the stilt floor (measured from floor to floor) will now be excluded from the building’s height limit, allowing developers to construct stilt (ground) plus four floors, while still adhering to the existing 15-metre cap on building height.
Advocate Suhas Ananth Rajkumar flagged a possible inconsistency in the regulation. “One clause caps the building height at 15 metres, while another excludes the stilt floor from this calculation. This could be interpreted as permitting stilt plus five floors, resulting in a total height of up to 18 metres. If this isn’t the government’s intention, it must issue a clarification," DH quoted him as saying.
To prevent misuse, particularly in a city like Bengaluru where enforcement remains a challenge, the notification has prescribed compliance conditions: stilt floors must be used solely for parking. In cases of violations, civic authorities have been empowered to deny water and electricity connections to residential buildings and revoke trade licenses for establishments.
Speaking on the rationale behind the decision, Tushar Girinath, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department, said the changes are designed to discourage parking of vehicles on roads. "We have exempted the stilt floor from total height calculation to make it attractive for the property owners to create parking space within his or her compound. The earlier proposal for a 4.5-metre stilt was dropped as many raised concerns about potential misuse,” DH quoted Girinath as saying.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
