Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has urged citizens not to build houses without approved building plans and possession certificates, following a recent Supreme Court directive that bars the provision of electricity and water connections to such unauthorized constructions.

Addressing the media at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, Shivakumar said, “The Supreme Court has clearly ruled that electricity and water supply cannot be provided to buildings constructed without proper approvals. This applies across the country and will affect a large number of people.”He noted that over 2.5 lakh people in urban and rural Karnataka have built houses without plan approvals and have applied for water and electricity connections. “We are consulting legal experts and senior officials to explore how we can assist the public within the legal framework,” he added.

Shivakumar also acknowledged that some citizens had already made deposits with electricity boards and that discussions are underway to resolve such cases. He warned that any new construction without plan approval would face denial of essential services, and regularization would be nearly impossible.

When asked about similar rulings in other states, Shivakumar stated that Karnataka’s Chief Secretary received a formal directive from the KERC to implement the court’s order immediately. “We’re not rushing. Officials are simply being cautious to avoid personal legal consequences,” he clarified.

On bringing a regularization bill, he responded, “The previous bill has already been stayed by the Supreme Court. However, the government is discussing solutions for A Khata and B Khata property issues.

Last year, we issued 39,000 water connections during this period. This year, it’s only 300 so far.”Dy CM Shivakumar concluded by stating that citizens’ welfare would be ensured legally, and cooperation from all stakeholders would be necessary to overcome this

legal challenge.