Obtaining an eKhata in Bengaluru

Last revised: Dec 14, 2024

Volunteer Credits: AN & Giridhar for research inputs; Preethi and Krithika for Editing/Review

Ease of completion: Extremely Challenging

Although claimed to be a “contactless service,” citizens invariably need to meet the ARO to get their eKhata because of technical glitches and a lack of clarity regarding processes among BBMP staff.

Current bribe or agent rates being quoted range from ₹15,000 to ₹60,000, depending on the urgency. For name corrections, the cost is approximately ₹2,000–₹3,000. Unless you are selling your property or need to mortgage it, it is advisable to wait until the process is more streamlined and reliable.

Introduction

What is eKhata?

Starting October 1, 2024, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) implemented eKhata as a mandatory requirement for property registration and title transfer.

eKhata is a digitized version of Khata that applies to A and B properties. In addition to the information available in a Khata Certificate and Extract, the eKhata will have additional information such as a photo of the owner(s), a photo of the property, geographical coordinates, floor-wise area, and the sale deed document number, to name a few.

The eKhata comes with a barcode designed to ensure the legitimacy of the property and eliminate fraudulent transactions.

You can convert your Khata to eKhata if your draft eKhata is available on the BBMP eAasthi website, http://www.bbmpeaasthi.com.

What is the fee for getting eKhata?

Once the final eKhata is available, the citizen can download it on the BBMP eAasthi website for Rs. 125.

How many days will it take to get the eKhata?

BBMP provides a timeline within 7 days of applying with all necessary documents. However, this is rarely the case.

Suppose the information in the eKhata application matches the information in the Kaveri portal and BBMP’s registers. In that case, the ARO will review the application as a final check before uploading the eKhata to the site. However, invariably, AROs reject the application either because they have not received sufficient training or as a ploy to get citizens to come to the office to ask them for a bribe.

If the information you upload does not match with the Kaveri portal or the BBMP’s registers, you may get a message to re-upload the specific supporting document or be asked to meet the ARO. Please carry all the documents or those specifically requested, which the ARO reviews manually.

Is eKhata service covered under Sakala?

Currently, the eKhata process is not covered under the Sakala scheme, meaning it is not a guaranteed, time-bound service.

Can I apply for eKhata through the Bangalore One Centers?

You can submit applications at Bangalore One Centers for a service charge of Rs. 45 per application.

What do I need to apply?

The following are necessary to get the final eKhata:

Mobile-linked Aadhar
- You, including any joint owner, need to eSign as part of the process to obtain the final eKhata. If you don’t have Aadhaar and cannot visit the ARO in person with your documents, you must appoint a Power of Attorney who can eSign on your behalf. If you can visit the ARO in person, you can use your Passport, Voter ID, or driving license issued in India.
No tax arrears
SAS Property Tax 10-digit Application Number (is on the property’s tax receipt.)
The Sale Deed Registration number (is in the property’s Sale Deed or an Encumbrance certificate.)
Passport-size photos of (joint) owners:
1. You can get a passport-size photo at home by uploading your photo to an app or website such as ‘Passport Photo Maker’ (for Android) or ‘Passport Photo – ID Photo’ (for iOS) or cutout.pro website in a browser.
2. Choose the size as 2 inches by 2 inches. These tools will remove the background automatically and produce a professional-looking passport-size photo.
Property photo
- Take a colour photo of the front of your property, standing outside your gate, so that the entire property is visible. Take a color photo of your property’s front from outside the gate, ensuring the entire property is visible. Some have mistakenly taken selfies instead, note, you only need a photo of the property.
- If you live in an apartment, take a photo of the tower or the building. If possible, with all the floors visible.
- You can upload multiple pictures if you need help deciding which photo to upload.
- The property photo is required for BBMP staff to identify the property from outside if they come for a check.
Property’s GPS coordinates:
- If you are in the property location, you can open the Compass app on your phone. The app will display the latitude and longitude information in this format: Degree°Minutes′ Seconds″. Example: 32°58′8″N, 128°40′25″. The first set of numbers is the latitude, and the second is the longitude. The numbers range from -90 to 90 for latitude and -180 to 180 for longitude.
- If you are not currently in the location, enter the address in Google Maps or any other map website/ app. Right-click on the area in the map if you are on a Desktop, and you can see the location coordinates.
- If you are using the app on a mobile device, touch and hold the area where your location is on the screen. The screen will display the coordinates near the location pin or in the bottom half of the screen.
BESCOM account number
1. If you have multiple BESCOM account numbers for the property, enter any one.
2. When entering these details, if the name associated with the entered BESCOM account is associated with the previous owner’s name, don’t fret: this is not a criterion for issuing the eKhata. Also, the BESCOM account number is not displayed in the eKhata.
BWSSB Consumer ID: Optional. You can leave this field empty if you do not have a BWSSB account.
Occupancy Certificate (OC) and Building Plan: This requirement applies if your property is an apartment.
Other documents: If you believe your property is incorrectly classified as B property, please upload the notarized Sale Deed, Mother Deed, previously issued Khata Certificate and Encumbrance Certificate.
- You can check if your property is classified as A or B in the draft eKhata. On page 2, if you see ‘ನಮೂನೆ ಎ’ (Form A for A classified property, meaning the property is compliant with all BBMP regulations) or ‘ನಮೂನೆ ಬಿ’ (Form B for B classified property, when the property is not compliant with all BBMP regulations).

For tips on scanning, compressing, and preparing documents, please visit ‘How to Prepare your Documents like a Pro.

Can you point me to reliable training videos?

The BBMP Revenue Department has published these videos:

Converting Khata to eKhata – English

Converting Khata to eKhata – Kannada

Getting eKhata for a new property

Glitches you can encounter

For troubleshooting general technical issues, please visit ‘Troubleshooting Technical Issues’

Encumbrance Certificate (EC) requirement is re-introduced

The Encumbrance Certificate was previously removed as a mandatory requirement unless you intended to register the property immediately. However, a system bug has temporarily reintroduced this requirement. If you’re encountering this issue, you’re not alone. If you don’t urgently need an eKhata, it’s advisable to wait – avoid obtaining an unnecessary EC in the meantime.

My eKhata application was referred to the ARO because of a “name mismatch.” However, my name is spelled the same in my sale deed and Aadhaar.

The name in the sale deed must match the name in the BBMP Registers. In one citizen’s case, his name was ‘First Name Last Name’ in the sale deed and Aadhar. However, the BBMP registers recorded it as ‘First Name Last Name s/o Father’s Name.’ The eAasthi system is erring on the side of caution and declaring a partial match and not a complete match. In this case, the ARO can take a judgment call, declare this a “match,” and approve the eKhata.

The eKhata does not include the names of the joint owners

The system fetches the sale deed from Kaveri software once the registered deed number is entered in BBMP eAasthi. If the joint owners’ names appear in separate rows in Kaveri, then the eKhata is issued in the joint owners’ names. If the names are displayed in a single line, then the e-khata is issued only in the name of the person whose Aadhar is uploaded first. To work around this, please use the ‘Add Owner’ option. You will find this displayed after eSigning.

Other Name-related glitches are below. There is no resolution for this bugs right now. Citizens have to approach the ARO to correct it.

The eKhata includes part of my name as a joint owner; This happens when one part of your name is in the second line in the Kaveri portal. The ARO can correct this.
My first name and surname are split up and shown as two different owners, leading to a “name mismatch error”
If there is a full stop between the first and last name, the system treats the name as two separate owners.

I am unable to complete eSign due to ‘405 error’

This error is commonly reported by Mac users; Please use a mobile device or a Windows machine. Additionally, please try eSigning during working hours on weekdays (10a – 5p).

I am out of the country and unable to eSign

Zen Readers Akhil and Varun shared this tip

Accessing the BBMP eAasthi site itself doesn’t need a VPN, but when you click on eSign the site redirects to esignservices.karnataka.gov.in, which is geo-blocked.

To avoid issues:

Use Android Chrome.
It’s safest to keep VPN on from the beginning – switching it midway may cause eAasthi to log you out.
Complete the eSign process, and when redirected back, you may still get logged out. If that happens, log in again immediately and retry. Persistence helps: Varun succeeded only on the fifth attempt.

The application asks for the construction year even though my property falls under ‘Vacant Lands’

One citizen countered this by adding the year as ‘2024.’ Note that the construction year is data that is collected but not displayed in the eKhata. It is not a criterion for issuing the eKhata.

Although I entered the dimensions correctly for my vacant land, the final eKhata displays them incorrectly as ‘0x0’

This is the case for vacant lands with odd dimensions. There is no resolution for this bugs right now. Citizens have to approach the ARO to correct it.

A citizen reported that their Village name was incorrectly entered in the final eKhata. However, the ARO stated that they do not have the authority to correct the Village name.
In the final eKhata, the measurements are displayed in square meters instead of square feet.

When I eSign, ‘Owner Status’ is shown as ‘New Owner.’ However, I am not the property’s first owner

The proper Owner Status for this property should be ‘Retained.’ One citizen who faced this error repeated the eSign process, and the second time, both the ‘Owner Status’ correctly showed ‘Retained.’

Unable to Download Final eKhata Due to System Incorrectly Showing Unpaid Tax

If the system incorrectly shows unpaid tax despite you having paid it, the only solution is to visit the ward office and request an update of your tax payment details in their system. Please also try calling the helpline 94806 83695.

For reference, this is the error message shown in Kannada: “ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ಹಣಕಾಸು ವರ್ಷದ ತೆರಿಗೆ ಬಾಕಿ ಇರುವ ಕಾರಣ, ಈ ಆಸ್ತಿಗೆ ನಮೂನೆ – ಎ/ಬಿ ರಚಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ತೆರಿಗೆ ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ಭರ್ತಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಅನುಮೋದನೆ ಪಡೆಯಿರಿ.” It translates to: “Due to pending tax for the current financial year, Form – A/B cannot be generated for this property. Please fill in the tax details and get approval.”

The application shows the fields for ‘Documents for A Khata’ marked as mandatory; however, I do not have them.

Although the application shows an asterisk ‘*’ beside these fields, you can select the checkbox ‘Do not have any of the documents mentioned above.’ to proceed.

The draft application I saved is no longer visible

Citizens who encountered this issue found their draft application after 2-3 days. The draft application can also disappear when the application is rejected. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing which reason applies at this time. We’ll keep this section updated as we know more.

Ensure you save a PDF copy of both the filled-in form and the acknowledgment for future reference.

FAQ

BBMP Staff is Asking Me for a Bribe – What Should I Do?

Please call, e-mail, or visit your Ward’s Jurisdictional Zonal, Joint, or Deputy Commissioner. You can find the contact details here.

BBMP says my property dimensions don’t match – What do I do?

One way AROs may try to induce a bribe is by claiming that the property dimensions are incorrect. In one reader’s case (Varun), BBMP staff measured the property and said the dimensions were different from those in the older Khata. It later turned out that one was recorded in square meters and the other in square feet. Varun had to pay a lakh to the ARO to get past this roadblock. If you face a similar situation, please file an RTI – the ARO will be required to state the “incorrect” dimensions, and they will not put false information on record.

Where can I find the ePID?

The ePID number is only available in the draft eKhata and is not information you would have beforehand. As such, using the ePID as a search filter to locate a draft eKhata for the first time is not practical.

I cannot find my draft eKhata!

You can search for your draft eKhata by Property ePID, Owner Name, Assessment Number, Property Address, or Book No.

If you are searching using ‘Owner Name,’ please consider the following:
- Some names are misspelled because of digitization issues, so try searching using the first 4 characters of the name. Or try different variations. For example, if the owner name you’re searching for is Nethra Vishwanathan, try searching for variations like Netra Viswanathan, Nethra Vishwanatham, etc.)
- Sometimes, the Owner’s Name is blank again because of digitization issues. Please use other criteria to search for the draft eKhata.
- If your name is entered in the BBMP register in the Kannada script, then you can only find the name in Kannada. To get your name’s Kannada script, you can use Google Translate. Example here.
- Try searching with the previous owner’s name. If you purchased a property and did not get a Khata, the property will be in the last owner’s name. Similarly, if you inherited a property but did not transfer the Khata, the draft eKhata will be in the previous owner’s name. In such cases, continue with the application process. Your application will be referred to the ARO, who will complete the mutation.
Book No. is the BBMP register book number where your property is recorded. You can find this number in the existing Khata.
The assessment Number, also known as a survey number, is in the property tax receipt.
One citizen found their draft eKhata in a different ward in their sub-division. You can see the other wards in your sub-division here.
If none of these work, your property record is likely not digitized yet, and you will have to wait until it is. Example, a reader obtained a Khata for his apartment earlier this year but was unable to locate his draft eKhata. The draft eKhata for his apartment building however is digitized. Please get in touch with your Zonal Head to see if they can expedite the digitization.

My Khata is not digitized. What should I do?

Please reach out to your Zonal Commissioner or the Special Commissioner (Revenue) at the BBMP Head Office. They will instruct the ARO to locate the register and ensure the data is digitized.

The details in my draft eKhata are wrong!

The draft eKhata is expected to contain errors because of issues digitizing BBMP registers. You might also see several fields marked ‘NA.’ The final eKhata will display this based on the documents you upload.

My name is spelt differently on the Aadhar card and the Title Deed. What happens now?

If the name in the sale deed does not match the name in the BBMP Registers, the application is referred to the ARO. Please take your Aadhar card along with Passport/Voter ID/Driving license issued in India when you meet the ARO.

I have multiple BESCOM account numbers for the property. What should I do?

If your property has multiple BESCOM account numbers, you may enter any one of them. BESCOM account name match is not a criterion for issuing the eKhata. This detail is primarily for data collection purposes.

The BESCOM account is in my name, however, the previous owners name is shown when I enter the account number.

BESCOM account name match is not a criterion for issuing the eKhata. This detail is primarily for data collection purposes. Please proceed with the application.

ARO says he is unable to make corrections. What should I do?

All AROs have access to the module to make corrections in Ekhata. Please “remind” them to use the ‘Receiving clerk login.’ Suppose they do not escalate the issue to your Zonal Deputy Commissioner.

I don’t have Aadhar. How can I get eKhata?

Please approach your ward’s ARO with an alternate identity proof, such as a Passport, Driving License issued in India, or Voter ID.

My eKhata is approved. But I can’t find the link to download it!

Here is the link. It needs to be displayed more intuitively.

I found the download link, but I can’t find the option to select a payment method. When I click ‘Proceed’ on this page, I get an error message: ‘Please Select Payment Type’

Please click on the PayU logo to select from the payment options. It needs to be displayed more intuitively.

I have an eKhata. Does this mean the property is legal?

According to the BBMP, possessing an eKhata does not affect the property title. An eKhata is a replacement for manually issued Khata, and it does not override ongoing ownership disputes.

I inherited a property but the will is not registered. Can I apply for eKhata?

No. Please register the will first.

How can I file an objection to the issue of eKhata for a property?

First, locate the draft eKhata. In the record, you will find the option to ‘Object not to issue final eKhata.’ You can object at any point until the eKhata is issued and up to 7 days after the eKhata is issued.

Click Here to know your ward & see the draft eKhatha.
Click Here for the draft eKhata if you know your ward.

What happens once I file an objection?

In case of objections, the Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) will conduct a hearing and decide the case based on its merits. The hearing will be summary in nature and must be completed within a maximum of two sittings. Decisions made by the ARO can be challenged through the First and Second Appeals, as outlined in the BBMP Property Tax (Assessment, Revision, and Management) Rules, 2024.

I have more questions!

BBMP has introduced a helpline to address grievances related to AROs; you can reach them at 94806 83695. For questions on eKhata you can dial the BBMP on 1533. It appears emails sent to bbmpekhata@gmail.com are not being actively monitored.

You can also post your questions in the comments section.