Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has strongly criticised the state government’s B-Khata to A-Khata conversion drive, calling it a bogus scheme aimed at extorting money from citizens. He urged Bengalureans not to pay any money for Khata conversion, describing it as a “fake and exploitative programme” by the Congress government.

“The so-called Khata conversion is nothing but a scam designed to loot the public. Don’t pay a single rupee. In two years, the JD(S)-BJP alliance will form the government, and we will ensure Khata transfers at a much lower cost. Don’t fall for this government’s false promises,” Kumaraswamy declared, addressing the people of Bengaluru.

He accused the Congress government of turning governance into a means of public exploitation. “This government is indulging in daylight robbery in the name of Khata conversion. I appeal to the people of Bengaluru — do not pay any money. Don’t get your Khata converted for the next two years. We will take care of your interests once we are back in power,” he said.

Kumaraswamy assured that citizens need not panic about property regularization. He said his future government would make the Khata process simple, transparent, and affordable. “People are already burdened with loans and interest payments. Don’t fall into another debt trap by paying lakhs for this fake Khata conversion programme,” he added.

He also ridiculed the state’s claim that the Khata conversion was a Deepavali gift to citizens. “The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister say this is their sixth guarantee — a Deepavali gift. But is squeezing lakhs of rupees from citizens what they call a festival gift?” he asked. He accused the government of misleading the public with continuous advertisements and propaganda, calling the scheme an organized form of loot.

Tracing the history of the Khata issue, Kumaraswamy said that B-Khata problems date back to 1995 when Bengaluru’s urban boundaries were expanded. In 1997, under the Deve Gowda government, municipal areas were reorganized, increasing wards from 60 to 90 and forming new urban bodies. At that time, Khata registration cost just `110 per square meter — about `12,263 for a 30x40 site.

He recalled that during his tenure as Chief Minister in 2007, a major urban development project was initiated with central government support to improve Bengaluru and Mysuru, creating 198 wards under BBMP and merging 110 villages, with `25,000 crore allocated for development. His government had fixed Khata rates at `200 per sq. meter for sites below 60 sq. meters, `400 per sq. meter for 60–120 sq. meters, and `600 per sq. meter for sites above 120 sq. meters.

“The government had already collected the required fee from citizens back then, and the court even directed that Khata registration be completed within 15 days. So why is this government collecting money again?” he asked, accusing the Congress of deceiving the people and using the Khata conversion drive as a money-making scheme.