12-05-2025
Civic officials failing to stop illegal layouts face up to Rs 1 lakh penalty in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Civic officials who fail to prevent unauthorised land layouts will now face personal penalties of Rs 50,000 for the first offence and Rs 1 lakh for a repeat violation, as per new rules notified by the urban development department (UDD).For a third or subsequent lapse, the competent authority is required to report the matter to the govt for action under Karnataka Civil Service Rules, Planning Authority (Levy of Penalty on Jurisdictional Officers for Failure to Prevent Unauthorised Construction) Rules, 2021, will apply to municipal corporations and planning bodies in the state.
"It covers unauthorised layouts — not individual building violations — and includes both urban local bodies and special authorities such as the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Area Planning Authority and the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority," said a senior UDD of municipal corporations and local planning authorities have been designated as "jurisdictional officers" responsible for curbing unauthorised developments. "However, it could be difficult to implement the rules in Bengaluru effectively, because the role of Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) is not considered seriously and in the case of BBMP and BDA, they are held by IAS ranks, making it challenging to penalise them due to political backing," added the document, accessed by TOI, reads, "The rules also hold jurisdictional tahsildar responsible for preventing the conversion of agricultural lands into unauthorised layouts within local planning area limits. An appellate provision has been included, allowing officers penalised under the rules to file an appeal within 45 days of the order."The new penalty system comes at a time when unauthorised layouts are mushrooming in and around Bengaluru, driven largely by systemic corruption.
