A Khata and B Khata: Differences And How Convert B Khata to A Khata

What is the diffrence between A Khata and B Khata? Here is everything you should know about A Khata and B Khata.

Khata is an essential document or certificate required by property owners in Bangalore. It is issued by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the municipal corporation of Bangalore, to properties that fall under its jurisdiction. Khata acts as evidence that property tax has been paid on a particular property.

Every property owner in Bangalore must possess a Khata certificate in order to carry out further legal proceedings involving property details. But having a khata does not confer ownership of the property on the individual in whose name the khata is registered.

How did A Khata and B Khata come into existence?

A Khata and B Khata denote the two types of khatas that exist under BBMP. The concept of khata came into effect in 2007 after BBMP was formed to simplify the collection of property taxes in Bangalore. Khata was introduced to improve the procedure of property tax collection.

BBMP started maintaining two registers to maintain the property taxes. The first register was called A Khata and it contained the list of the fully legal properties in Bangalore. A second register called B Khata was maintained to contain the list of illegal or semi-legal properties in Bangalore. Thus, A Khata and B Khata came to be formed.

What are A Khata and B Khata documents?

A Khata

An ‘A’ khata document certifies that the relevant property taxes have been duly paid by the property owner to the BBMP. It also denotes that the property conforms to all building bylaws and government regulations regarding properties in Bangalore.

The possession of A-khata document enables property owners to apply for building licenses, trade licenses, building plan approvals, and avail bank loans on the property. An A khata certificate is also required if the owner wants to get involved in any kind of financial transaction involving the property.

B Khata

A ‘B’ khata document indicates that the property is illegal or is in violation of government regulations regarding properties in Bangalore, even when the civic charges for the property have been cleared by the owner. BBMP holds the right to collect taxes from buildings constructed illegally, including buildings constructed in violation of bylaws, constructions carried out on revenue land, properties built on unauthorized layouts, buildings without completion or issuance certificates, etc. Such properties are listed by BBMP under the B khata.

Having a B khata document bars a property owner from applying for licenses from the government. An owner of a property having a B khata document also cannot apply for loans on the property from the banks. But having a B khata document does not prevent the property from being sold or bought by people.

Advantages of owning an A Khata property

An A khata property enables the owner to carry out construction on the site. The owner can opt for any commercial or domestic construction. The A khata certificate can also be used to avail bank loans or loans from other financial organizations. Since A khata is recognized as a valid document, property owners can easily make transactions such as resell or transfer ownership of the property.

Differences between A Khata and B Khata properties

There are several differences between A khata and B khata properties. Some of the major differences are as follows:

The owner of an A khata property can apply for essential amenities such as water connection, electricity connection, etc. whereas the owner of a B khata property cannot apply for the same.
The A khata property holders can apply for bank loans from any nationalised or private bank in regard to their property, but B khata property owners cannot avail bank loans based on their property.
In the case of trade licenses, it is only the A khata property owners who are granted the privilege, while B khata property owners remain deprived of the same.
Though owners of both types of khata documents can pay property taxes, the government marks A khata properties as legal while the B khata properties are labelled as illegal or semi-legal.

How to convert B Khata to A Khata

B khata properties that have very little deviation from the accepted building laws and regulations can be converted to A khata. The owner of a B khata property can upgrade it to an A khata by fulfilling certain criteria and following a few steps, such as:

Step 1: Convert the land from agricultural to non-agricultural use by applying for District Commissioner (DC) Conversion.

Step 2: Clear all property taxes due on the property till date as per the government norms.

Step 3: Obtain the khata form from the BBMP office and fill in the details as required in the form.

Step 4: Gather all the required documents to be submitted along with the form.

Step 5: Pay BBMP Betterment Charges, which is the fee levied for converting from B khata to A khata and submit the filled-in form along with the tax receipts and the required documents to the Assistant Revenue Officer of the concerned area.

Generally, A khata document is issued within a period of 4 to 6 weeks after the submission of the form and the relevant documents.

Documents required for conversion of B Khata to A Khata

Property owners interested in converting their B khata property to A khata property must submit the following documents along with the form for conversion:

Title deed
Sale deed
Copies of property tax receipts paid previously
Order of conversion of the land from agricultural to non-agricultural use
Proof of any improvement charges paid
Occupancy certificate
Blueprint showing the property’s location
Blueprint showing the property dimensions and other specifications of the property
Khata extract
Any other document as required for the conversion