In a significant reprieve, the Karnataka government has now relaxed occupancy certificate norms for certain categories of residential buildings located under gram panchayat limits to bring major relief for rural home and farmhouse owners. This is bound to remove administrative bottlenecks and speed up access to essential civic services such as electricity and water connections.
The RDPR department, in a notification, said that henceforth, residential buildings constructed on the site measuring 30x40 square feet in rural areas are exempted from occupancy certificate. Houses built in G + 2 (ground floor plus two floors) or stilt + 3 (stilt plus three floors) will be exempt within the limits of gram panchayats.
The officials said that the relaxation has taken immediate effect and is intended at reducing procedural delays that property owners face in the processing and approval of the OCs. According to the previous regime, even small residential buildings constructed in rural areas had to be subjected to a detailed scrutiny before an OC could be issued. This entailed joint site visits by the gram panchayat officials and the town planning officials, verification of certificates issued by licensed engineers and architects and scrutiny of plan approvals.
This process was taking a great deal of toll on local bodies, many of which are already understaffed. Delays in inspections and approvals were thus further appalling the timely delivery of government services. The OC norms for smaller residential plots, easement would streamline administrative workflows, with officials focusing on larger and complex developments.
The non-issuance of an occupancy certificate had resulted in the denial of essential services being a key concern for the homeowner. Electricity supply companies and local bodies had increasingly refused to provide power, water supply, and drainage connections by citing Supreme Court guidelines that link basic amenities with the availability of valid OCs. Large property owners in rural areas were hence unable to occupy or put to full use their homes despite construction being completed.
The latest exemption is likely to overcome this hurdle by enabling homeowners get utility connections without going through the time-consuming approval process. According to officials, the decision will most benefit those who have built independent houses or farmhouses on small plots for personal use.
In particular, it should be noted that this is not the first time that the Karnataka state administration has relaxed its requirements. A short while ago, there has been an extension of exemptions to new sites developed under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), as well as other selected urban bodies, where OC requirements will not apply for slated residential structures.
Experts have noted that such a step shows that the state government has a pragmatic approach towards regulation and development on the one hand and making processes simpler for smaller home owners on the other hand. Though the regulation will continue to apply fully to major projects, the exception for the 30x40 plot will bring relief to the rural community and will help prevent a chilly relationship between the citizen and the administration.
.png)