‘One Ward a Week — e-Khata Campaign’ launched in Karnataka’s Mandya district

The Karnataka government has introduced reforms in property taxation by classifying properties into ‘A’ Khata and ‘B’ Khata. As a part of this initiative, the ‘One Ward a Week – e-Khata Campaign’ has been launched in Mandya in order to bring all properties under the jurisdiction of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) into the tax net.

Deputy Commissioner Kumar said that officers and staff of all ULBs in the district have been briefed on property laws. Instructions have already been issued to accept applications from the public and to ensure steady progress, he stated.

Issuing ‘A’ and ‘B’ Khatas for all properties under the Mandya City Municipal Council (CMC) is a flagship project of the government. A target has been set to achieve 100% coverage within three months. However, he noted that very little progress had been made so far.

In this context, a decision was taken during the ULBs’ monthly progress review meeting to implement the e-Khata campaign ward-wise, to expedite the process. Accordingly, the Mandya CMC has been directed to undertake the campaign across all wards and work towards achieving the 100% target.

Each ward will have a designated date for the campaign. Dedicated teams, comprising officers and staff, will be formed for every ward, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Revenue inspectors, tax collectors, and data entry operators, along with other required staff, will be deployed in each ward. Property owners of identified registered and unregistered properties must be informed about the campaign and the documents required to obtain an e-Khata.

For ‘A’ Khata registration, documents required include registered sale deed/gift deed/partition deed or right documents issued by the government or government undertakings; property tax payment receipt (current year); debt-free certificate; owner’s photograph and property photo, and proof of identity such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID, PAN card, or Ration card. For ‘B’ Khata registration (for properties registered before 10-09-2024), the documents required include registered sale deed/gift deed/partition deed/right certificates; conversion order, ‘pahani’, revenue sketch, or other relevant documents; debt-free certificate; current year’s property tax receipt; and owner’s photograph, property photo, and ID proof.

Streets, apartments, and layouts will be identified and support from Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), active citizens, NGOs, and Self Help Groups will be sought for the success of the campaign, he said.

On the designated day, adequate infrastructure such as computers, printers, internet connectivity, seating arrangements, waiting areas, and token distribution will be made available at each site. Help desks will be set up to guide the public. Officers and staff assigned to the campaign must begin operations in each ward by 7.00 a.m., and initiate the process for issuing e-Khatas. Applications received must be processed and e-Khatas issued within one week, the Deputy Commissioner added.