Bengaluru
The Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday cleared the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, enabling municipal commissioners to regularise unlawful constructions by levying penalties, a move seen as resembling the controversial Akrama-Sakrama scheme, currently under Supreme Court stay.
Urban Development Minister B S Suresha (Byrathi), who piloted the Bill, said the amendments will apply only to buildings that can be regularised under existing by-laws and not to those marked for demolition. The Bill also exempts small sites—mostly 20×30 and 30×40 plots—from requiring commencement and occupancy certificates (CC/OC), a measure aimed at providing relief to the poor and middle-class.
Under the new provisions, commissioners can issue OCs by imposing penalties on property owners who failed to obtain CCs before construction. Penalties will also be levied on violations and deviations from sanctioned plans, with the permissible threshold raised from 5% to 15%.
“We cannot frame rules for Akrama-Sakrama as the matter is before the Supreme Court. But we can give relief to small site owners by exempting them from CC/OC norms,” Suresha told the House, clarifying that this Bill is “not Akrama-Sakrama in disguise.”
The amendments further empower municipal corporations to appoint professional architects, engineers, and planners as “authorised persons” to inspect buildings and sanction plans. Empanelled engineers will now be allowed to approve plans up to 4,000 sq ft.
The government has defended the move as a pro-poor reform, while critics say it risks normalising building violations. The Bill will now move to the Legislative Council for approval.
