Khata Extract · A/B-Khata · e-Aasthi

The B-Khata Trap: What Your Karnataka Khata Extract Really Tells You (And What It Doesn’t)

A lot of buyers check their Bhoomi RTC Online record, treat the Khata Extract the same way, and stop there. It isn’t a title document, though — it’s a tax record, proof that a property is entered in the municipal assessment register, not proof of who legally owns it. The actual legal proof lives in the registered Sale Deed Certified Copy Karnataka instead. Confusing the two is exactly how people end up buying properties they later discover sit in a legal grey zone.
This guide covers what a Khata Extract actually is, the real difference between A-Khata, B-Khata, and the newer e-Khata system, how to get one, what it costs, and why it should never be the only document you check before buying.

Get My Khata Extract A-Khata vs B-Khata

What is a Khata Extract?

A Khata is an official entry that identifies a specific property for tax purposes and records who is responsible for paying that tax. It’s issued by the local municipal body — in Bengaluru, that’s the BBMP (now transitioning under the Greater Bengaluru Authority); outside Bengaluru, it’s the relevant City/Town Municipal Council or Gram Panchayat.

Two documents come out of this system, and they’re often confused with each other:

Khata Certificate — confirms that a property is recorded in the municipal register, under a specific owner’s name.
Khata Extract — the more detailed document, listing the property’s dimensions, built-up area, assessment year, and Property Identification Number (PID), which is what property tax gets calculated against.

TOGETHER

For a fully compliant property, these two are referred to as an A-Khata.

A-Khata vs B-Khata — The Distinction That Actually Matters

This is where most confusion — and most risk — comes from.

A-Khata

An A-Khata property fully complies with building bylaws, land-use rules, and tax regulations. It gets both a Khata Certificate and a Khata Extract. A-Khata status is generally what banks want to see before approving a home loan, and what makes future resale and building approvals straightforward.

B-Khata

A B-Khata property is recorded in a separate register for properties that don’t fully comply — this could mean unauthorized layouts, unconverted agricultural land used for construction, or bylaw violations. Following a Karnataka High Court order in December 2014, B-Khata properties lost whatever informal legal standing they previously had and are now treated as non-compliant. A B-Khata property only gets a Khata Extract — no Khata Certificate is issued.
This is the trap buyers fall into: a B-Khata property can still have people living in it, paying property tax, and holding what looks like official paperwork. But it typically can’t get a full construction loan, and reselling it comes with the same compliance problem passed on to the next buyer — unless it’s formally upgraded to A-Khata first, which usually means clearing outstanding taxes, completing land-use conversion if needed, and paying betterment charges.

THE TRAP

A B-Khata property can still have people living in it, paying property tax, and holding what looks like official paperwork. But it typically can’t get a full construction loan, and reselling it passes the same compliance problem to the next buyer — unless it’s formally upgraded to A-Khata first, which usually means clearing outstanding taxes, completing land-use conversion if needed, and paying betterment charges.

E-Khata The Digital Layer, Not a Third Category

E-Khata (accessed through the e-Aasthi system) is not a separate legal classification alongside A and B — it’s the digitized, QR-coded version of an existing Khata record, rolled out for Bengaluru properties starting October 2024.

A few things worth knowing about it:

Only A-Khata properties are eligible for e-Khata. B-Khata properties need to be upgraded first.
e-Aasthi is built on a system integrated with the Kaveri registration database, which is intended to reduce record mismatches between municipal and registration records over time.
Visit the SRO in person for very old records. If the sale happened decades ago, the SRO’s own index registers (kept on paper before digitization) may be the only way to trace it.
Outside Bengaluru, other municipal bodies are moving toward similar digital systems at different paces check with your local civic body for the current process.

What You Actually Need to Apply for e-Khata

The e-Aasthi portal isn’t a simple form-fill — it asks for real supporting documents and verification steps upfront:

Aadhaar-based e-KYC for the owner (OTP verification is mandatory; a failed or unlinked Aadhaar is one of the most common causes of a stuck application)
Property photo with GPS coordinates, uploaded as part of the application
Supporting documents — Sale Deed, Encumbrance Certificate, and current property tax receipts
Occupancy Certificate (OC), if the property is a newer construction
DC Conversion order, only if the property is being upgraded from B-Khata and was originally agricultural land

MOST COMMON REJECTION REASON

Missing or mismatched documents — especially a name that’s spelled slightly differently across the Sale Deed, Aadhaar, and tax receipt — is the single biggest reason applications get stuck or rejected.

How to Get a Khata Extract

For Bengaluru Properties (BBMP / e-Aasthi)

Visit the official BBMP e-Aasthi portal

Go to the government’s e-Aasthi portal to begin your search.

Search using PID or owner details

Search using the property’s PID, or the owner’s name and address details.

View & download, if already on record

If the property already has a Khata on record, the extract can typically be viewed and downloaded directly.

File a separate application if needed

For a fresh Khata registration (common for new apartments) or a Khata transfer (required after a resale), a separate application needs to be filed — either through the Sakala citizen services portal or in person.

For Properties Outside Bengaluru

Khata records for properties under other City/Town Municipal Councils or Gram Panchayats follow a similar principle — a local register recording tax assessment against a property — but the specific online portal and process vary by local body. Check with the relevant municipal office for the current online option, if one exists for your area.

Also check your Bhoomi RTC Online record ↗ Also see: Karnataka Survey Documents guide ↗

Khata applies to municipal/urban property; agricultural land outside municipal limits is tracked through RTC on Bhoomi instead, not Khata. And remember — a Khata Extract shows municipal tax records, but it doesn’t prove legal ownership; that proof comes from the registered Sale Deed.

Khata Transfer — What Happens After You Buy a Resale Property

Buying an existing property doesn’t automatically update the Khata to your name. A Khata transfer application has to be filed separately, under Section 114 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. Until that transfer is completed, the Khata still reflects the previous owner — which can create friction later when you try to sell, get a loan, or apply for utility connections in your own name.

Typical Fees Involved

Costs vary slightly by local body and have changed over time. Based on current figures for BBMP-administered properties:

Khata Certificate — around ₹25
e-Khata application/processing fee — roughly ₹125–₹200, plus certificate/extract charges above
B-Khata to A-Khata conversion — a separate application fee (around ₹500) plus betterment charges

Khata Extract — around ₹100
Khata transfer (mutation) fee — typically 2% of the stamp duty paid on the registered sale deed, minimum around ₹500

BETTERMENT CHARGES VERY

Different sources report betterment charges differently — sometimes as a flat per-square-metre rate, sometimes as a percentage of land value. Given how much this varies by zone and case, treat any specific figure as a rough starting estimate only.

These figures shift periodically and can differ for panchayat or other municipal jurisdictions outside BBMP. Always confirm the current fee on the official e-Aasthi portal before paying — don’t rely on a fixed number from any guide, including this one.

Processing Timeline (Sakala Service Guarantee)

Under the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, Khata-related applications carry an official outer time limit — commonly cited as around 30 working days for a standard, clean application. In practice:

Scenario	Typical Timeline
Clean, document-complete application	Often 7–15 working days
Requires physical site inspection	Typically 30–45 working days
B-Khata to A-Khata + transfer combined	Often 45–90 working days

IF IT’S DELAYED

If your application sits well past the Sakala outer limit without movement, that delay itself is escalatable through the Sakala grievance/tracking system.

Who Actually Needs a Khata Extract?

Property owners

To support tax assessment & prove municipal record

Buyers

To check A/B-Khata status before committing

Builders / developers

Required for plan approvals & construction permits

Banks / lenders

Part of loan & mortgage verification

Khata Extract vs Sale Deed vs RTC vs EC — Don’t Rely on Just One

Buyers frequently assume one of these documents is “enough.” None of them individually is. Here’s what each one actually proves:

Document	What It Proves	What It Doesn’t Prove
Khata Extract	The property is on the municipal tax register, and basic dimensions/assessment details	Legal ownership, or whether the underlying title is clean
Sale Deed (Certified Copy)	A specific registered transaction happened legally	Whether the property is currently compliant on municipal records, or free of loans
RTC / Pahani	Current ownership and status for agricultural/revenue land	Anything about municipal/urban Khata status — RTC and Khata apply to different land categories
Encumbrance Certificate (EC)	Whether the property has registered loans, liens, or claims over a chosen period	Ownership itself, or municipal compliance status

A clean Khata Extract with no Sale Deed backing it, or a Sale Deed with an unresolved B-Khata status, are both incomplete pictures. Full due diligence checks all of them together.

Check the Sale Deed too

A Khata Extract shows tax records — the registered Sale Deed is what proves legal ownership.

Sale Deed Certified Copy Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Not exactly, but it stops reflecting reality the moment there’s a change in ownership, property size, or usage. Get a fresh copy before any legal transaction rather than relying on an old one.

It’s often submitted alongside the sale deed and property tax receipts as supporting documentation for property-related tax filings, though it isn’t the sole proof required.

No. It only reflects the current municipal assessment record — size, use, and the currently listed owner. For transaction history or loans against the property, you need an Encumbrance Certificate.

Formally, only the registered owner or their legal representative can apply for one. In practice, buyers routinely ask sellers to produce it as part of due diligence before finalizing a purchase.

No — this is the single most important thing to understand about this document. It supports a claim of ownership by showing tax and assessment records, but the actual legal proof of title is the registered Sale Deed. A Khata Extract describes the property; it doesn’t establish who legally owns it.

Yes, though it isn’t automatic. The typical path looks like this:
Clear all outstanding property tax dues — the e-Aasthi system checks this automatically, and any pending arrears will block the application at verification.
Obtain DC Conversion, if the land was originally agricultural and needs to be formally converted for residential or commercial use.
Pay the applicable betterment charges, calculated based on the property’s specific compliance gaps and zone.
Submit the conversion application online through e-Aasthi (or the relevant Sakala service), along with an approved building plan and Occupancy Certificate where applicable.
Karnataka has also periodically run time-bound special drives to fast-track B-to-A conversions for eligible older properties — worth checking whether your property qualifies for any active drive, since the process can be noticeably faster during those windows.

Disclaimer: This page is an independent informational guide. It is not affiliated with BBMP, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), or any municipal or panchayat authority in Karnataka. Always confirm fees and steps on the official government portal before making any payment.