Will consult apartment owners before enacting Ownership Bill: Karnataka CM Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday assured apartment owners that the government would enact a comprehensive law to protect their ownership rights after consulting all stakeholders, saying the proposed Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026, would be discussed widely before being placed before the legislature.

Addressing representatives of apartment associations in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the government would also take up unresolved issues relating to developers, property documents and apartment governance while ensuring that homebuyers' interests remained protected.

"We are very firm. When property is being given to you, you should have the right. You are the owners," Shivakumar said, underlining the government's commitment to strengthening legal safeguards for apartment owners.


The chief minister said the government would not rush the legislation and had invited suggestions from apartment associations, developers, legal experts and political parties before finalising the Bill.

"We have time before the Assembly session. The Bill will first go to the Cabinet and then be introduced in the Legislature. I do not want to bulldoze a Bill through the Assembly. I want to discuss it with all stakeholders and incorporate good suggestions wherever possible," he said.

Shivakumar said apartment owners had invested their lifetime savings to own a home and deserved complete legal protection.

"Your hard-earned property deserves full legal protection. There should be no misuse," he said.

He announced that developers who failed to hand over original property documents to buyers would be called for discussions and warned against withholding records after mortgaging properties with banks.

The chief minister said the proposed 'Bhumi Guarantee', which he described as the government's sixth guarantee, would ensure delivery of Khata certificates to property owners without bribes.

He said around 40 lakh properties had already been digitised and 26 lakh Khatas had been issued.

He urged apartment associations to maintain sewage treatment plants properly and cooperate in addressing civic issues, while assuring that the government would continue improving drinking water supply and urban infrastructure.

Shivakumar said Bengaluru had grown from around 70 lakh people during his earlier tenure as Urban Development Minister to nearly 1.4 crore now, with about 1.35 crore vehicles using the same road network, making infrastructure expansion a gradual process.

He said the government had taken up infrastructure works worth around Rs 1.5 lakh crore across departments connected with Bengaluru and sanctioned nearly Rs 4,000 crore for road improvements and pothole repairs.

Reiterating his government's plan to encourage planned high-rise development instead of small layouts, the CM said Bengaluru remained an attractive destination because housing was significantly more affordable than cities such as Mumbai.

"Our dream is that Bengaluru should become your heart, and indeed the heart of India," he said.

Earlier, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the consultation had been convened primarily to obtain public feedback on the proposed legislation and requested participants to restrict their comments to the Bill.

"First priority is only for views on this proposed Bill. This forum's primary focus is discussion on the Bill," he said.

Byre Gowda said the salient features of the proposed legislation would be uploaded online and stakeholders could submit their suggestions through a dedicated email address.

He said legal groups and other organisations working on legislation would also be consulted before the Bill was finalised.

He also addressed concerns over the new solid waste management rules requiring bulk waste generators, including eligible apartment complexes, to tie up with registered waste processing agencies.

"This is the Supreme Court order. You are welcome to cross-check it," he said, explaining that the directions flowed from Supreme Court orders and Central Pollution Control Board regulations.

Addressing concerns over waste collection charges, Byre Gowda said the government had only prescribed a ceiling.

"We have fixed Rs 12 only as the maximum ceiling. We have not fixed Rs 12 as the rate. It is open for negotiation between the apartment association and the buyer," he said.

He added that the government was willing to empanel more waste collection agencies to prevent monopolies.