Cabinet clears A-Khata for B-Khata properties across Karnataka; Major approvals on prisons, health, infrastructure

Key decisions taken at a marathon cabinet meeting chaired by CM Siddaramaiah include property regularisation, premature release of life convicts, major infrastructure spending, land allotments, and electric bus procurement.

The Karnataka state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, held a prolonged meeting lasting over two-and-a-half hours at the Cabinet Hall in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, taking several key policy and administrative decisions affecting urban governance, infrastructure, healthcare, land allotments and social welfare.

One of the most significant decisions relates to property regularisation. The cabinet approved the conversion of B-Khata sites, buildings, apartments and flats located in unauthorised layouts, formed without approval from competent authorities, into A-Khata properties. This will be implemented by framing rules on the lines of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) model. The decision applies to all urban local bodies outside Bengaluru, including municipal corporations, city municipal councils, town municipalities and town panchayats across Karnataka. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil confirmed that this move will enable thousands of property owners to regularise their holdings.

The cabinet also approved the premature release of 33 life-term convicts lodged in various central prisons across the state, based on good conduct. However, their release will be subject to obtaining approval from the Union government.

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Several major infrastructure and health-related projects received administrative approval. These include the construction of the second phase building of the Directorate of Medical Education in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, at an estimated cost of ₹24 crore. Approval was also granted for procuring medical equipment and furniture worth ₹40 crore for the new hospital and district hospital attached to the Nandi Medical College and Research Institute in Chikkaballapur.

In Holenarasipur, the revised estimate of ₹12.30 crore for the construction of the taluk panchayat office building was cleared. The cabinet agreed to revise the amount fixed for 17.06 acres of land allotted to Bharathi Education Trust in Mallahalli village of Maddur taluk, Mandya district.

Land allotments were approved for political and institutional purposes as well. In Tumakuru district’s Shira taluk, 72 guntas of land in Kallukote village were allotted to the Congress Bhavan Trust, Bengaluru, for constructing a Congress Bhavan. Similarly, 10 guntas of land in Sirwar taluk of Raichur district were approved for the same purpose. The cabinet also cleared the installation of statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi at various locations within the Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation limits.

Administrative approval was given for a ₹10.60 crore project to handle five years of maintenance and repairs of underground drainage components in Haliyal town. In Shivamogga, approval was granted to allot an alternative 1,350 sq ft site to ex-serviceman R.G. Telang in Vinobanagar, in place of an earlier 1,200 sq ft site.

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The cabinet approved the implementation of the “Akka Pada” programme in coordination with the Home Department across 31 districts and five police commissionerates. It also cleared the construction of an administrative building at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Mandya, at a cost of ₹70.70 crore through the Public Works Department.

In coastal Karnataka, the cabinet approved a revised estimate of ₹11.03 crore for sea erosion prevention works along the Dubbanashashi and Gangakolla coastlines in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district. Approval was also given to allot five acres of land in Balepuni village, Ullal taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, to KSRTC’s Mangaluru division for operating electric buses.

The cabinet deferred a decision on allotting land in Ravuthanahalli village of Dasanapura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, to 22 Dalit and backward class mutts due to unresolved issues. However, it approved the allotment of two to three acres of land in Made village, Sampaje hobli, Kodagu district, to Kodagu Gowda Samaja for establishing a cultural, educational and sports centre for the Arebhashe Gowda community.

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To support silk farmers in Mysuru and surrounding areas, the cabinet cleared a ₹20 crore project, in collaboration with NABARD, to establish a cocoon market in Mysuru. The cabinet also approved the procurement of electric buses for the state.

Minister H.K. Patil said that while land allotment to Dalit and OBC mutts near Dasanapura was initially proposed, the matter has been postponed due to certain confusions. He reiterated that all decisions were taken after detailed deliberations during the cabinet meeting.