Officials in Karnataka who fail to curb illegal constructions in municipal corporations will now face a penalty upto ₹1 lakh.  

The Karnataka government in a notification dated November 16, said that Municipal Commissioner on receiving a complaint can impose a fine if he/she is convinced of dereliction of duty by the judicial officer. 

A copy of the notification was placed before the bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur. The process should be completed within two months as per the notification issued by the Urban Development Department.

Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officers and those from other corporations in the state, if found guilty, will be fined up to ₹50,000 for the first instance and up to ₹1 lakh for the second. For the third and every other instance, the commissioner shall initiate proceedings under Section 90 of the Act. 

Departmental inquiries can also be initiated, and officials may also face strict action for violations of rules.

E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department (UDD) told The Hindu that new rules will act as a deterrent for illegal construction of buildings. 

“In October, the State government had issued a draft notification and received suggestions and objections. Now, the department has come out with a final notification. There are provisions to take stringent action against the officials by conducting a departmental inquiry for continued negligence and lapses under the KMC Act,” he said. 

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