Karnataka Assembly passes bill to regularise unlawful buildings with penalty

The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2025, allows commissioners to levy penalties and issue occupancy certificates for minor building violations.

The Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday passed the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2025, giving municipal commissioners the power to regularise certain unlawful buildings by imposing penalties. The provision applies only to structures that can be brought under existing building bylaws and will not cover those marked for demolition.

For the first time, the permissible limit for deviations from sanctioned building plans has been raised from 5% to 15%. Commissioners can now issue occupancy certificates even if commencement certificates were not obtained earlier, provided the penalty is paid.

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Relief for small site owners

The government clarified that this move is primarily aimed at helping small site owners, especially those with 20x30 or 30x40 properties. These sites will be exempted from the requirement of commencement and occupancy certificates, easing the burden on lower and middle-income households.

Officials stressed that this amendment is not the same as the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, which remains pending before the Supreme Court. Unlicensed properties will still not be exempted from legal requirements.

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Role of professionals in plan approvals

The bill also brings in a major reform by allowing empanelled architects, engineers, structural consultants, and planners to inspect buildings, approve plans, and certify compliance. These professionals can sanction plans up to 4,000 sq ft, reducing delays in approvals.

Additionally, the power to sanction building plans will now lie with municipal commissioners or chief executives of urban local bodies, instead of elected councils. The government argued that this change was necessary to speed up approvals, as councils often fail to meet regularly.

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Mandatory certificates for utilities

Another key provision makes commencement and occupancy certificates mandatory for electricity connections, aligning with Supreme Court directives. While the opposition raised concerns about this being restrictive, the government said the move was needed to ensure compliance with the law.

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