For those willing to regularize the illegal constructions, the eagerly awaited Karnataka town and country planning and certain other laws (amendment) act, 2009, popularly known as akrama-sakrama bill, has come into force.
Urban development principal secretary P N Srinivasachari told Express: “It will regularize deviations, but not encroachments, up to December 3, 2009 in all urban local bodies, including Bangalore.’’
The act provides for regularization of residential buildings with up to 50 percent irregularity and commercial buildings with up to 25 per cent irregularity. Six per cent of the guidance value of the irregular portion of a residential building will be charged as penalty if the violation is 25 percent and less and eight per cent of the irregular portion would charged if the violation exceeds 25 per cent but does not exceed 50 per cent.
Twenty per cent of the market value would be charged for the violations up to 12.5 percent in the commercial buildings and thirty five percent, if the violation is more than that cut off.
The amendment act reduces the penalty amount mentioned in Amendment of Karnataka Act 14 of 1977 and Amendment of Karnataka Act 22 of 1964. The penalty amount has been reduced from 10 per cent to six and eight per cent for residential buildings and from 25 to 20 per cent and from 40 to 35 per cent for commercial buildings.
The gazette notification said any person seeking regularization of the irregular building should file an application before the prescribed authority within one year from the commencement of the act.
The act received the governor’s assent on August 2 and was notified on August 27.
The act makes amendments to three acts - Amendment of Karnataka Act 11 of 1963, Amendment of Karnataka Act 14 of 1977 and Amendment of Karnataka Act 22 of 1964. It act was passed during previous government and Governor H R Bhardwaj had kept it in abeyance till now.