B Khata to A Khata Conversion Time, Betterment Charges & Fees

Two questions come up in almost every B-to-A conversion conversation: how long will this take, and what will it cost? The honest answer to both is: it depends on the state of your file. A clean application with all documents in order, no pending dues, and a PID that matches the BBMP database can complete in four to six weeks under the current GBA drive. A file with a missing DC order, a Khata in the seller's name, or a survey number mismatch can take nine months or more.

Below is a realistic breakdown of the timeline, the fee components, and where the delays accumulate.

End-to-end timeline: what the stages actually look like

The Sakala guarantee for a B-to-A conversion application is 30 working days from submission of a complete application. In practice, the end-to-end timeline spans three to nine months for most properties — because 'complete application' is the operative phrase, and most first submissions are not complete.

• Document preparation and pre-application checks: one to four weeks, depending on whether the EC, DC conversion order, and building plan are readily available. This is the stage most applicants underestimate. Do not start the online application until the physical file is ready.
• Portal submission and acknowledgement: one to two days once documents are assembled.
• Revenue Inspector scrutiny and site inspection: typically seven to fifteen working days after submission. The inspector checks both the uploaded documents and the physical property.
• ARO review and any query notice: if the inspector's report raises a query — a name mismatch, a missing document, a survey discrepancy — the applicant has a specified period to respond. Each query cycle adds two to four weeks.
• Betterment charge demand and payment: the demand is generated after a clean inspection. Payment is online; the A Khata is issued automatically after payment confirmation. This final step takes one to three working days.

Where a DC conversion order must first be obtained from the Deputy Commissioner's office, add eight to sixteen weeks. Where a Khata transfer must precede the conversion, add four to eight weeks. Both are external processes that run on their own clocks.

Betterment charges: what they are and how the calculation works

Betterment charges are the statutory levy payable to BBMP/GBA in exchange for regularising a property's status — conceptually, the contribution toward the public infrastructure that an unsanctioned development used without paying for. The charge is based on the government guidance value of the property, not the market value. The guidance value is the Karnataka Stamp Act valuation used for stamp duty calculation at registration.

Under the GBA's current 100-day drive (May 16 to August 23, 2026), the rate is 2% of the guidance value. The standard rate, applicable outside this window, is 5%. The portal calculates the charge once the property is identified by PID and the dimensions are confirmed — applicants can see the amount before committing to payment. Verify the applicable rate and window dates on the BBMP/GBA official notification before filing, as rates and window periods are set by government notification and may change.

To illustrate the difference: a property with a guidance value of ₹80 lakh carries a betterment charge of ₹1.6 lakh at 2% and ₹4 lakh at 5%. For a property with a guidance value of ₹50 lakh, that is ₹1 lakh vs ₹2.5 lakh. The 100-day window is a material saving, not a marginal one.

How the guidance value is determined

The guidance value is fixed by the Karnataka Stamp Act authority and is published locality-by-locality in the registration department's schedule. It is typically lower than the market value of the property. In high-demand Bengaluru localities — Indiranagar, Koramangala, Whitefield — the gap between guidance value and market value can be substantial. The guidance value applies only to the land extent; the GBA system uses the plot area as declared in the Khata extract and the sale deed.

Where the sale deed and the Khata disagree on the area of the property, the portal may use the BBMP-recorded dimension. This can either increase or decrease the charge relative to what the owner expects. Confirm the area recorded in the BBMP system at the pre-application stage.

Other fees in the application

• Application fee: ₹500, paid online at the time of portal submission.
• Khata extract fee: payable if a fresh extract is needed after A Khata issuance — the portal shows this on the download screen.
• Development charges: may apply separately depending on property category and zone. The portal makes these calculations visible before payment.
• Betterment charge: the principal component, as described above.

No lawyer fee, agent fee, or 'processing charge' is prescribed by BBMP/GBA for the application itself. If someone asks for a payment outside the official portal, it is not a lawful charge.

Where delays accumulate: the three stages that take longest

Document preparation, not portal filing, is where most time is lost. The EC, DC conversion order, sanctioned building plan, and Khata transfer (if needed) each take time to obtain through separate channels. Starting the portal application before these are ready produces an incomplete submission, an ARO query, and a resubmission cycle — which adds more time than obtaining the documents properly in the first place.

The inspection stage slows where the Revenue Inspector's schedule is heavy — particularly during the final weeks of a 100-day drive, when submissions pile up. Applications submitted early in the window move faster through inspection than those filed in the final two weeks.

A query cycle is the most unpredictable delay. A single ARO query can add two to four weeks. Multiple queries in sequence, each with a response period, can add two to three months. Most query-generating defects are identifiable before submission. A pre-application document review eliminates the bulk of them.

What triggers a re-submission

An application that cannot be resolved through an ARO query response — because a prerequisite (DC conversion, Khata transfer) must first be completed — is effectively returned to the beginning once that prerequisite is done. The original application number is preserved, but the inspection clock restarts. In such cases, total elapsed time from first submission to final A Khata can reach six to nine months or more.

If the 100-day window closes while the prerequisite is still being processed, the completed application after August 23, 2026 will be processed at the standard 5% rate, not the 2% rate at which it was originally submitted. The reduced rate applies only to applications that complete payment within the window. This is one of the sharper arguments for sorting out prerequisites before filing.