On October 1st, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched the process of issuing e-khata on the e-AASTHI website and published the application procedure. The BBMP states that 21 lakh out of 22 lakh properties with khata in Bengaluru have their draft e-khatas listed on the site. Property owners can view their draft e-khata and apply for the final version by uploading additional information.
However, many Bengalureans are confused about the process or are unable to access their property listings on the website. Here is a simplified guide on e-khata, how to apply, BBMP’s approval process and some common challenges.
What is e-khata?
E-khata is merely the digitised version of your khata details. However, it is supposed to be a more exhaustive document than the khata certificate or khata extract.
“E-khata has a combination of details present in the khata certificate and khata extract. Additionally, it would have photos of the property and the property owner, the property’s GPS coordinates and schedule (description of location and boundaries),” says Ketan Vyas, Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO), Domlur sub-division.
The e-khata will also assign a unique 10-digit e-property ID to all properties, irrespective of whether they are A or B khata properties. In the case of A khata properties, the e-khata will show both the new e-property ID and the existing Property Identification Number (PID).
Read more: Navigating apartment property legalities: A comprehensive checklist
What is the difference between A khata and B khata?
The khata certificate shows that a particular property is owned by a specific person. The khata extract, on the other hand, provides details from BBMP’s khata/assessment register, such as the property’s size and use. Together, the khata certificate and khata extract are referred to as A khata.
BBMP records the tax collection details of properties in unauthorised layouts/revenue sites and those violating BBMP bylaws in a separate register called B register. These accounts are unofficially known as B khata.
For more info on sale deed, encumbrance certificate and other property papers, see ABCs of Property Papers.
You can apply for an e-khata only if your property already has an A or B khata. Once you upload your details on the e-AASTHI website, the e-khata for the property will be generated automatically, and you can download it by paying a fee of ₹125, without visiting any BBMP office.
However, if you want to do a property transaction, you have to approach the ARO with your e-khata to get it verified.
“In the e-AASTHI system, we are issuing e-khata after matching the person’s name across different documents including their sale deed, Aadhar, BESCOM connection number and property tax acknowledgement. If two people have the same name, the first person’s name will also match across all documents of the second person, and he may be able to put his name and credentials against the second person’s property. Hence verification by the ARO is essential before property transactions,” says Munish Moudgil, BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue).
From this month, e-khata is mandatory for registering any property transaction in Bengaluru. For those without a BBMP khata, a separate application module will be added on the e-AASTHI website within 7–10 days.
How to view your property listing on e-AASTHI?
- You can log on to https://www.bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in/ by entering your phone number and the OTP you receive on your phone.
- On logging in, click on the ‘Get e-khata’ tab, which will show you the list of zones and wards.
- Click on your ward to see the list of properties. You would then have two options to search for your property — ‘property ID’ and ‘owner name’. Here, ‘property ID’ refers to the e-property ID that would get generated in the e-khata (not the property’s current PID).
- So, if you are checking the site for the first time, your only option is to search by ‘owner name’. (Previously multiple options such as SAS application number could be used for the search, but these have been removed).
- If searching by ‘owner name’ does not show results, you can also scroll through the property list. After selecting the ward name, all property owners in the ward will be listed alphabetically, making it easier to find your name.
- If you have already downloaded your e-khata and want to view your property listing again, you can use the ‘property ID’ option for the search.
Data on 21 lakh properties available
According to the BBMP, 21 lakh property tax records across 5,500 registers have been scanned and digitised so far. BBMP had outsourced the digitisation process to a private agency, but BBMP’s revenue officials are supposed to verify the digitised records.
“In each zone, our case workers have to verify 100% of the digitised records. Of these, 25% will be randomly selected and sent to the Revenue Inspectors. Fifteen per cent will be sent to the ARO, 10% to the Revenue Officer, and 5% to the Deputy Commissioner and Joint Commissioner of the zone. So at every level, officers will check for errors,” says Ketan. After this verification, the information gets generated as the property’s draft e-khata.
If your property already has an A or B khata but isn’t listed on e-AASTHI, the website suggests checking again after a few days, as the details of one lakh properties are yet to be digitised.
If you do see your property listed, you can click on the ‘Draft eKhata’ option to view or download it. For several listed properties, the draft e-khata is not showing up currently; BBMP AROs say these will be up in the next few days.
Understanding your draft e-khata
For properties which have a draft e-khata, the document shows limited information, such as the property owner’s name and location, the extent of the property and the PID number. “Draft e-khata is populated with few fields now because that’s the only data available in BBMP’s digitised khata registers. The remaining information has to be filled in [by property owners] during the e-khata application process,” Munish says.
What to do in case of property disputes or errors?
Any citizen can raise an objection against a draft e-khata within seven days of its publication on the e-AASTHI website. Objections can only be filed to demand that an e-khata not be issued if there is a property dispute. In such cases, the objection must be filed in writing to the ARO, along with supporting documents. The ARO will then hold a hearing and make a decision.
Some citizens have reported errors in their draft e-khatas. Valli Srinivasan, a property owner, says her name and the name of her layout have been misspelt.
“These property owners can collect their e-khata now, but we will add the module for correcting errors in names and addresses in a couple of months,” says Munish. Allowing name changes on the website is an elaborate process, as people may have minor changes in their names across different documents. Besides, the provision could be misused for property grab if not implemented properly, he says.
How to apply for your final e-khata?
Whether your draft e-khata is available on the site or not, you can click the option to ‘Submit information for final eKhata’.
On clicking this option, you will have to provide:
- Sale deed details: If your property was registered after April 1st, 2004, you only need to enter the registration number of the sale deed. This will fetch the sale deed from the Stamps and Registration Department’s Kaveri 2.0 website. If your property was registered before this date, your sale deed wouldn’t be digitised, so you have to upload it. The e-AASTHI website allows you to upload any of these documents — sale deed, gift deed, encumbrance certificate, property tax receipt, etc. However, the document has to be a title document (such as a sale deed or gift deed) that was registered with the Stamps and Registration Department, says Ketan.
- Encumbrance certificate (EC): The EC should be dated between one day prior to your sale deed registration and the current date. Apply for the EC on the Kaveri 2.0 portal and check the ‘Help’ section for details. If your property transaction occurred after April 1st 2004, you should receive the EC within three days of your application. Otherwise, it may take longer. Ensure you upload your EC in the e-khata application form within seven days of issuance.
- Documents to prove you have an A khata: These could be your khata certificate, khata extract, among others.
- Other details: These include property tax-related details such as your SAS application number
- Your PAN number
- Aadhaar eKYC
- Your photo and your property’s photo
- Your GPS coordinates: You can select these on the website
- Your 10-digit BESCOM connection number
The verification process
The website gives you the option of saving your application progress and returning to complete it later.
Your application gets verified automatically on the e-AASTHI website as it is linked with the Kaveri and BESCOM databases. “If there is a match, you will get your e-khata immediately. If there is any mismatch, the application goes to the ARO, (who will inform the applicant about the mismatch and correction needed). The caseworker and ARO will also check the applications of properties for which they had not finished the digitised records’ verification,” says Munish.
If a property owner does not have all the required documents, they can visit the e-khata help desk at the ARO’s office. On October 9th, BBMP issued e-khata to an NRI who didn’t own an Aadhar card. “In such cases, the application is processed through the alternative login given to caseworkers,” says Ketan.
BBMP has not yet given a deadline for citizens to apply for e-khata. Hence, most applications are now coming from those who need e-khata for property transactions.
GPS exercise not linked with the e-khata process now: Munish Moudgil
Recently, BBMP’s teams started going door-to-door to collect GPS coordinates of each property. Munish Moudgil clarified that this process is parallel and independent from the e-khata issual process.
“The GPS coordinates collected by these teams will be seeded into BBMP’s property tax list, which is separate from the khata list. But later, under another programme, we will link the property tax list with the digital khata list,” he says.
When you don’t have a khata for your property
Some 5-7 lakh properties, mostly in the city outskirts, don’t have a BBMP khata. These properties were in the 110 villages merged with BBMP by 2008. Properties developed in these areas post-2008 merger were added to BBMP registers, but those from before 2008 remain in old village records, despite owners paying taxes to BBMP.
Kochu Shankar, a resident of Banjara Layout, Ramamurthy Nagar, is one such owner who couldn’t find his property on e-AASTHI.
“The village lists containing these property details are available, but they are 16 years old, so we can’t trust them. So, the process is different for these properties,” says Munish.
A separate module will be launched on the e-AASTHI website within 7–10 days for these property owners to file applications. As digitised records for these properties are unavailable, BBMP will issue A or B khatas based on the sale deed and other provided documents.
Citizens raise concerns
Other than the glitches in accessing property records, citizens have raised concerns about the privacy of their e-khatas. Currently, anybody can view a draft of an e-khata on the site.
Munish responded that apps such as the Survey department’s Dishank already show ownership details. “This is a part of the transparency, in my view. E-khata only shows that the person owns this property, not other details like their mobile number. Since e-AASTHI is on blockchain and is integrated with the Kaveri database, chances of misuse have been reduced. The sub-register can verify the digital records before a transaction.”
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Home Buyers Forum has raised concerns about builders not bifurcating and transferring land khata to individual flat owners. “The builder is supposed to bifurcate land khata, and transfer it to the individual flat owners. Some builders in Bengaluru have done it, but most haven’t. So, the land khata remains in the builder’s name. This issue should be sorted before e-khatas are issued,” says the Forum’s convenor Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar. Though the Forum has been approaching top BBMP officials to make the process compulsory, BBMP has not responded yet.
Dear Navya Madam
Through your channel please bring the below challenges and Gaps faced on e -Aasthi portal from the property owner.
Unable to upload online EC if the property is registered in 1998.
Unable to upload EC obtained from 98 till 31 March 2004 bcos it’s manually issued.
The window period of 7days expires by the time you get EC from any of these office bcos they have case load and can’t issue within the stipulated time frame.
Geo location for multi story flats is useless
Rest all info has been with bbmp for existing khatas. Hence this ekhata process is of no real use and is creating fresh burden on property owners for multi story apartments
Bbmp needs to generate ekhata on their own without asking for same information repeatedly and asking for irrelevant info like geo location for 100’s of flats who have same location
Fantastic move, hope this system will eliminate wrong registration and corruption.
Hi,
Please also post on how to get the same in Bangalore Urban Gram Panchayathis and not part of BBMP limits.They are not even bother about e-khata
A very detailed article covering all the aspects & procedures of E khatha.