From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Akrama can become Sakrama or all unauthorised constructions in urban areas, across Karnataka, including the State capital Bengaluru, can be regularised from March 23.

This decision of regularising all unauthorised constructions in all urban centres, including Bengaluru promised by several chief ministers belonging to different political parties, took almost nine years for implementation.

The credit for implementing the proposal for regularising unauthorised constructions in urban areas goes to Siddaramaiah regime, which took the decision to implement the legislation with effect from March 23 in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

As per the decision on regularisation of unauthorised constructions, lakhs of owners of houses and commercial buildings are expected to get "one time opportunity" to regularise their illegal constructions if it is not challenged in the court again.

To cover 213 Urban Local Bodies

Under the scheme, violations pertaining to setback, floor area ratio, non-conversion of agricultural land and formation of unauthorised layouts in all 213 urban local bodies (ULBs) would be regularised.

Karnataka’s Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake, who announced the State Government’s decision to implement the regularisation of all unauthorised constructions in urban areas across the State, said the scheme of regularisation will be in force till March 22, 2016.

Owners of buildings can submit applications to the urban local body concerned to regularise illegal constructions by paying prescribed penalty.

Violations up to 50 per cent and 25 per cent would be regularised in case of residential and commercial properties respectively, Sorake said.

Cut-Off Date is October 19, 2013

All illegal buildings and layouts developed before October 19, 2013, are eligible for regularisation.

The Congress government was keen on implementing the scheme, particularly in Bengaluru, as the BBMP will go to polls in May this year and it will also help in generating substantial revenue to the State Government.

The BBMP alone is expected to mobilise a whopping Rs 5,000 to Rs 6000 crore by implementing the scheme.

A separate fund would be set up in each ULB to park funds received under the Akrama Sakrama scheme, Sorake said.

Though the State government had issued the final notification under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act in June last year, it was kept pending due to a stay order by the Karnataka High Court. The court recently gave the green signal to implement the scheme.

Power, Water Supply Cut if Not Regularised

Meanwhile, electricity and water supply will be disconnected in case owners failed to regularise illegal residential and commercial buildings by paying penalties before March 22, 2016, under the Akrama-Sakrama scheme.

"In case you have made unauthorised constructions and you fail to apply for regularisation within the prescribed time, the supply of water and electricity to the building will be liable for disconnection after notice to you," says a handbook of the Urban Development Department.

Applications received after the prescribed date, cannot be entertained and owners who failed to avail the opportunity would be liable to pay heavier penalties besides facing other enforcement measures, including demolition of buildings, Sorake declared.

If the constructions are more than the permissible limits, it would not be regularised unless the violations are brought down within the prescribed limits for the respective category of buildings.

Self-Declaration of Violations

All the applicants have to self-declare violations and submit them along with the prescribed fee subject to payment of shortfall if intimated by competent authority.

The process of scrutinising the applications would commence after the closure of the last date for filing the applications.

A special set of officers would assist ULBs in processing the applications. If the application is in order and the violations are within the permissible limits, then an order for regularisation would be passed and a certificate would be issued.

All the penalties and fees paid by applicants would be utilised for development of physical infrastructure and creation of parks and open spaces in urban local bodies (ULBs).

The minister said all penalties would be credited to a separate fund kept in ULBs and it is called Urban Areas Infrastructure Development Fund.

Guidance value as prevailed on October 19, 2013, would be considered for paying penalties, he explained.