Karnataka government grants OC exemption for 1200 sq. ft houses in Greater Bengaluru

Bengaluru--- Bringing major relief to thousands of homebuyers in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has announced that residential houses built on 1200 sq. ft (30×40) sites within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits will now be exempted from obtaining Occupancy Certificates (OC).

The decision, finalized during last week’s state cabinet meeting, addresses the long-pending grievances of homeowners who were unable to secure electricity and water connections due to the lack of OCs. This move is expected to benefit over four lakh families residing in houses without official occupancy documents.

According to the new order issued under the Greater Bengaluru Administration Act, 2024, the exemption applies to houses built on sites measuring up to 1200 sq. ft, with either ground plus two floors or stilt plus three floors. These buildings will no longer require an OC, provided that the construction plan has been duly approved by the competent authority.

Officials said that this exemption will allow new homeowners to obtain essential civic amenities such as *electricity and water supply*, which were previously denied by utility agencies in the absence of an OC.

For several years, property owners across Bengaluru have faced significant challenges after building houses on approved plots but failing to obtain OCs due to technical, procedural, or legal hurdles. The Supreme Court’s 2024 directive had restricted the government from providing civic amenities to such buildings, putting lakhs of citizens in limbo.

As a result, many homeowners in Bengaluru’s newly developed areas struggled without basic facilities, even after completing construction. Reports suggest that over one lakh applications for electricity connections were pending in the Bengaluru region alone.

The government’s latest move invokes its powers under the Greater Bengaluru Administration Act which empowers it to provide exemptions where necessary in the public interest. By relaxing the OC requirement, the state aims to ensure that legitimate homeowners in smaller plots are not unfairly deprived of basic amenities.

A senior official from the Urban Development Department said, “This order provides much-needed relief for residents who have built homes on approved layouts but were unable to get OCs. It strikes a balance between regulation and humanitarian concern.”

Deputy Chief Minister *D.K. Shivakumar*, who also heads the Bengaluru Development portfolio, had earlier assured that the state was exploring legal and administrative options to resolve the OC issue. “We had discussed providing water and power connections to houses built on plots up to 1200 sq. ft without OC or CC (Completion Certificate). The cabinet has now taken a final decision to provide relief while ensuring compliance with safety norms,” he said.

The government clarified that this exemption applies only to individual residential buildings and not to high-rise apartments or commercial complexes. Moreover, construction must comply with approved building plans and zoning regulations to qualify for the waiver.

With this decision, the state has effectively lifted a major bureaucratic burden on Bengaluru’s middle-class homeowners, many of whom had invested their life savings in constructing small houses but were left stranded without essential services.

Urban experts have hailed the move as a “pragmatic and people-friendly decision,” while also urging the government to ensure stricter enforcement against large-scale illegal constructions.

The decision is expected to improve the ease of living in Bengaluru’s suburban areas under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority and bring long-awaited relief to tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens.