Curation Team
BENGALURU: Several senior citizens in the city are running from pillar to post to obtain e-Khata for properties purchased by their children, who are now settled abroad. With Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) portal mandating Aadhaar ID for registration, families of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) say the rule has left them hassled, as they don’t have one.
A case study accessed by TOI shows the plight of an octogenarian resident of RT Nagar, C V Govindharaju, who has been struggling to get e-Khata for his flat bought 22 years ago. “My son, who is 59, is a US citizen. He helped me buy this apartment in 2003. Now, when we apply for e-Khata, the system refuses to accept his details because he doesn’t have Aadhaar card,” he said.
Govindharaju explained that his son has PAN, which was sufficient for paying property tax and fulfilling other obligations. “The portal accepts only Aadhaar, but NRIs don’t have it. Officials insist that if he has a PAN card, he must also have Aadhaar. This is illogical. Why create so many hurdles for senior citizens?” he asked.
Despite reaching out to Janasevakas and GBA’s revenue department, Govindharaju said no solution was offered. “I have been made to run between offices for months, but no one is willing to take responsibility. It has become a nightmare for people like us,” he added.
In another case, Rajagopal Varma, a retired banker from Srirampura, said he too was denied e-Khata for his property since his daughter, who invested in the flat a decade ago, is now a US citizen without Aadhaar. “I know all the documents required, but this came as a shock. I am not only being asked to pay a penalty, but the application itself cannot go through. Parents sacrifice to send their children abroad and invest here, but instead of supporting us, the corporation is harassing senior citizens like me,” Varma said.
Senior citizens’ groups have also flagged the issue, demanding that BBMP accept alternate identity proofs such as PAN and passport for NRI property owners. While senior revenue officials at BBMP say they are only following the mandate by GBA. “The software is not designed by us, so only chief commissioner or the revenue commissioner can fix it,” said a revenue official.
