Karnataka Assembly Revolutionizes Land Usage and Property Registration

The Karnataka assembly passed nine significant bills, including those amending land usage and property registration laws. Key bills authorize auto-conversion of agricultural land for MSMEs and streamline property registration through digital means. Changes also affect leadership of various development authorities, potentially impacting governance efficiency.

The Karnataka assembly on Wednesday approved a series of nine bills designed to update land usage and property registration processes, among other governance reforms.

Key among these is the Karnataka Land Reforms and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, introduced by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, which allows the conversion of up to two acres of agricultural land for new micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) without a formal process. Additionally, it eliminates the conversion requirement for lands used in renewable energy projects and imposes fines for unauthorized conversions.

The legislative session also saw the passing of the Registration (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, focusing on integrating technology to reduce human intervention and improve transparency in property registrations, including the use of digital signatures. Furthermore, responsibilities for several regional development authorities were redistributed to potentially streamline governance. The Greater Bengaluru Governance (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was also tabled for future discussion.

(With inputs from agencies.)