Draft RMP amendments to ease plot mergers, family sub-division in Bengaluru; real estate to thrive?

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

The draft notification issued by the Urban Development Department (UDD) on June 4 introduces new provisions governing family sub-division of plots, amalgamation of A-khata properties, and bifurcation procedures. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

In a move that could help small builders thrive in Bengaluru while also creating affordable housing for middle-class families, the Karnataka government has proposed amendments to the zonal regulations of the Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2015 for the Greater Bengaluru Area.

The draft notification issued by the Urban Development Department (UDD) on June 4 introduces new provisions governing family sub-division of plots, amalgamation of A-khata properties, and bifurcation procedures.

The proposed move is expected to make the Karnataka government’s B-to-A Khata conversion scheme more attractive, while contributing to densification of the city.

Under one of the proposed amendments, two or more adjoining building sites with A-khata will be eligible for amalgamation, provided the resulting site is contiguous, upon payment of a nominal fee to the corporation.

This means that two separate sites can be amalgamated into one and become eligible for a single plot approval for construction, effectively enabling the development of larger apartment complexes.

K.R. Ramesh, property consultant and developer, said the move gives small builders an opportunity to thrive in the city while also providing affordable housing.

“Once implemented, builders will have greater space availability, leading to denser construction, which will also force a revision and correction of rates. The impact will be that costs become more affordable for the middle class,” he said, welcoming the move.

Interestingly, the conversion scheme, which has seen dismal progress so far, is also likely to receive a boost as private developers look for sites on the city’s fringes, and will be willing to pay more. This would create a win-win situation for both site holders and developers.

The