The opposition BJP on Tuesday accused the ruling Congress of “systemic governance failure in Bengaluru”, alleging widespread corruption in the e-Khata system run by five municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Leader of Opposition R. Ashok, during a debate on Bengaluru development in the legislature, alleged that city corporation officials were running a “mafia” to extract bribes for issuing e-Khatas, even against property owners who were paying taxes properly. He alleged that in some cases the officials started the auction process despite compliance with tax obligations.
Criticizing Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s ‘Brand Bengaluru’ initiative, Mr Ashok said corruption in the system has undermined the government. He produced documents in the House to counter Mr. Shivakumar’s claim that there was no bribery during the Congress government.
Bribe for installments
Citing specific cases, Mr. Ashok alleged that in HBR Layout, the property owner was forced to pay bribes in installments to secure an e-Khatu. At the same time, similar demands of up to ₹50,000 were reported in Devanahalli. He alleged that private brokers charge ₹30,000-40,000 per property to facilitate approvals.
The BJP leader further highlighted the ongoing civic problems, including potholed roads, poor waste management and inadequate infrastructure. Despite claims of significant expenditure, he argued that road repairs remain incomplete and garbage disposal systems are ineffective, with thousands of tons of waste going unmanaged daily.
Financial crisis
Raising financial concerns, Mr. Ashok said the GBA/municipal corporation was facing a severe lack of resources, with revenue insufficient to cover salaries and operational expenses, leaving the city unprepared for emergencies like floods.
He highlighted the delay in issuing Occupancy Certificates (OCs) and noted that nearly four million buildings remain unutilized. Questioning the approval process, he asked why building permits were granted when OCs could not be issued later.
Work stopped
Highlighting the paucity of funds, Mr. Ashok said several key infrastructure projects in Bengaluru — including the Ejipura flyover, the Ullal grade separator, the Rajarajeshwari Nagar junction and the Kengeri Outer Ring Road — have stalled. He claimed that despite the government’s claims of sufficient funding, payments to contractors are delayed, resulting in work being halted. He cited the contractor’s letter to GBA complaining about outstanding fees.
He criticized the slow implementation of social programs and said that initiatives such as the distribution of self-employment carts and ironing boxes had not been implemented since the government took office.
He further claimed that though the government had announced an allocation of ₹7,000-₹8,000 crore for Bengaluru, only about ₹3,000 crore has been released so far. Referring to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s budget proposal to raise ₹48,000 crore through bonds, Mr Ashok argued that merely creating new corporations was insufficient and called for more financial support to the city.
Published – 24 March 2026 18:48 IST
