B-Khata to A-Khata in Bangalore: who qualifies under the 2025 conversion window, and what it costs

A B-Khata is not a death sentence for a property. But it is a documented impediment to bank financing, resale, and plan sanction — and it has been used by sellers to obscure title defects that run deeper than the khata record itself. The Greater Bengaluru Authority's 2025 conversion campaign, 'Namma Khate, Namma Hakku', opened a 100-day window from 16 May 2026 with a reduced conversion charge of 2% of guidance value, down from the standard 5%. That is a material cost saving. The harder question is whether your property qualifies at all.

What B-Khata actually means

Khata is a municipal accounting record linking a property to a taxpayer in the BBMP (now GBA) system. An A-Khata reflects a property that has all requisite municipal approvals in order — building plan sanction, occupancy certificate, layout approval. A B-Khata indicates the property is assessed for tax but lacks one or more of those approvals. The property exists in the BBMP system; it does not have the municipality's full legal endorsement.

The distinction matters because scheduled commercial banks generally refuse home loans on B-Khata properties, and the Karnataka government requires A-Khata status for building plan sanctions and legal registrations of constructed properties. Buyers who acquired B-Khata properties assuming the issue would be resolved quickly are discovering it is more complicated than that.

Who qualifies for the 2025 window

According to information published by the GBA and its portal at bbmp.karnataka.gov.in/BtoAKhata/, eligibility requires the property to be within BBMP/GBA limits with a B-Khata already registered, all outstanding property tax dues cleared before application, and — where the land was originally agricultural — a valid DC conversion order confirming non-agricultural use.

• Property must be within BBMP/GBA jurisdiction with an existing B-Khata entry
• All property tax arrears must be fully paid before the application is submitted
• DC conversion order required for any land that was previously agricultural or revenue land
• Building plan approval and occupancy certificate required for completed structures (where applicable)
• Layout and road-approval documentation required for plotted layouts

Properties that do not qualify

This is the section buyers and sellers routinely skip. Not every B-Khata converts under the 2025 window, and not every B-Khata can ever convert under any window. Properties on government land, PTCL land (protected tenancy), 94C-designated land, or land under a court injunction are excluded. So are properties constructed in violation of FTL (Full Tank Level) or buffer-zone restrictions around Bangalore's lakes, properties in unapproved or unauthorised layouts without any path to layout regularisation, and properties with active legal disputes registered against the title.

A property with a B-Khata that sits in a lake buffer zone cannot be converted by paying a fee — the underlying legal problem is structural, not administrative. Checking whether a property is in a notified FTL or buffer zone requires a separate verification against the BBMP lake map and the Karnataka Lake Development Authority notifications, not just the khata record.

The full cost stack

The 2% conversion charge is applied to the current government guidance value of the property. That figure is set by the Karnataka stamp-duty valuation authority and differs from the market price. On a flat with a guidance value of ₹80 lakh, the conversion charge at 2% works out to ₹1.6 lakh. Add the ₹500 application fee. If property tax arrears exist, those must be cleared in full before the application is accepted — that sum is separate and can be substantial on older properties.

After the 100-day window closes, the GBA has indicated the rate reverts to 5% or higher. For a ₹80 lakh guidance-value property, that is the difference between ₹1.6 lakh and ₹4 lakh — a meaningful saving if the property otherwise qualifies.

How to convert B-Khata to A-Khata, step by step

The application runs through the GBA's B-to-A Khata portal during the campaign window. The sequence below is the practical order in which buyers should work — the verification steps before the payment step are the ones that protect you from paying a non-refundable charge on a property that cannot legally convert.

1. Verify eligibility first. Confirm the property is within BBMP/GBA limits, has an existing B-Khata entry, is not on government/PTCL/94C land, and is not inside an FTL or lake buffer zone. This is the step that decides whether the fee is money well spent or money lost.
2. Clear all property-tax arrears. The application will not be accepted until every outstanding tax due is paid in full. Pull your tax-payment history and settle any gaps before you start.
3. Assemble the document set (listed below) — B-Khata extract, registered sale deed, five years of tax receipts, encumbrance certificate, and a DC conversion order if the land was ever agricultural.
4. Log in to the GBA portal at bbmp.karnataka.gov.in/BtoAKhata/ and complete Aadhaar-based eKYC.
5. Fill the conversion application, upload the documents, and submit. The system computes the conversion charge at 2% of the current guidance value.
6. Pay the conversion charge (2% in the window) plus the ₹500 application fee online.
7. Track the application as the GBA scrutinises it. On approval the property is moved to A-Khata and a fresh A-Khata extract is issued; on rejection the charge is typically non-refundable.

Documents required for the application

• Aadhaar card for eKYC verification
• Current B-Khata extract
• Registered sale deed or title deed
• Property tax receipts for the past five years
• Encumbrance certificate
• DC conversion order (where land was previously agricultural)
• Building plan approval and occupancy certificate (for completed structures)
• Property sketch and, for plots above 2,000 sq.m., CAD drawings certified by a registered architect

The hard truth

Conversion is not automatic, and it is not retroactive approval for an illegal structure. The GBA scrutinises the application. Properties in unauthorised layouts, buffer zones, or with suppressed title defects are likely to be rejected, and the fee — if paid — is typically non-refundable. Before spending on the conversion charge, verify the complete document chain: survey records, parent title, layout approval status, and lake proximity. A B-Khata that converts cleanly is a better property than one that converts on paper while concealing an underlying title problem.

B-Khata to A-Khata conversion: common questions

How much does B-Khata to A-Khata conversion cost?

During the GBA's 2025 campaign window the conversion charge is 2% of the property's guidance value — for example, ₹1.6 lakh on an ₹80 lakh guidance value — plus a ₹500 application fee. After the window the rate reverts to 5% or higher. Any property-tax arrears must be cleared separately before the application is accepted, and on older properties that arrears figure can exceed the conversion charge itself.

Can I convert B-Khata to A-Khata online?

Yes. The application runs through the GBA's B-to-A Khata portal with Aadhaar-based eKYC, document upload and online payment — there is no need to visit an office to submit it. What cannot be done online is the eligibility judgement: confirming the property is not on government, PTCL or 94C land, and not in an FTL or lake buffer zone, is a manual verification you must do before you pay.

Is converting B-Khata to A-Khata mandatory?

It is not legally compulsory to convert, but a B-Khata blocks bank home loans, plan sanction for construction, and a clean resale. Conversion is what removes those impediments. The 2025 window simply makes it cheaper to do — it does not change the fact that a B-Khata property remains harder to finance and sell until it is converted.

SourceBBMP / GBA — B-to-A Khata conversion portal (Namma Khate, Namma Hakku campaign)

SourceKaveri 2.0 — Karnataka Registration and Stamps Department, Encumbrance Certificate portal

SourceDocuPro — Karnataka slashes B-Khata to A-Khata conversion fee to 2% (100-day campaign detail)

SourcePropWatch — Bangalore real estate legal & K-RERA report