BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday sought a response from the state government on a public interest litigation filed by a financial professional from the city, against the circular issued by the Stamps and Registration Department mandating e-khata for property registration, until BBMP confirms e-khata is available for all existing properties and a time-bound process is established for new properties.
The division bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind asked the state government to file a reply after hearing the petition filed by Gowrishankar S as party-in-person, and adjourned the hearing to February 3, 2025. However, it has not issued a notice.
The petitioner stated that the e-khata system, launched with the aim of digitizing Karnataka’s land records, suffers crucial implementation challenges, particularly in BBMP wards.
While the government has mandated the use of e-khata for property registrations, the system remains incomplete and suffers from procedural gaps and data errors.
BBMP’s partial rollout, coupled with the ongoing digitization of properties and numerous inaccuracies in draft e-khatas, creates barriers for citizens.
The system is not yet fully functional, and requiring its use for property registration is premature, causing inconvenience and legal and financial risks for property owners, the petitioner claimed, pointing out a media report about the decline in registration of properties after the issue was introduced.
He prayed to court to issue directions to the state government to allow property registration without e-khata in cases where the system is not enabled, an application is pending, or alternative documents to prove ownership exist, based on self-declaration. He also requested directions to etablish a transparent and timely process for obtaining e-khata within the stipulated timeline.
Also requesting the court to bring e-khata services under the Sakala Act to ensure timely delivery and prevent delays in the registration process, the petitioner stated that there is a need for dissemination of information on khata issuance or transfer, fees and other procedures to ensure awareness and transparency.