DKS pitches Apartment Bill, seeks apartment residents’ support in GBA polls

The State government is planning to introduce the Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2025, to protect the interests of apartment owners and residents, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Saturday.

During the interaction with apartment owners and members of Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) at Vidhana Soudha, organised by the Urban Development Department, Mr. Shivakumar said the government was engaging with stakeholders to gather feedback ahead of finalising the proposed legislation.

He asked those who could not participate in the interaction to email their suggestions within 10 days.

Growth in apartments

Mr. Shivakumar said that the Bill was being brought at a time when Bengaluru had grown significantly, with nearly 19% of its residents living in apartments, and noted that no government had attempted to amend or overhaul the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, since its introduction.

The apartment representatives, during the meeting, raised concerns over the lack of clear transfer of ownership rights and undivided share of land from builders or promoters to apartment owners, delays in handover of completion certificates and documents, non-transfer of corpus funds, and ambiguity over the status of common areas and commercial spaces.

The participants also flagged the absence of a dedicated and time-bound dispute resolution mechanism for conflicts within associations, calling for clearer provisions on redevelopment and amalgamation of ageing apartment complexes, consolidation of governance under a single comprehensive law instead of multiple overlapping statutes, and greater use of technology to ease compliance.

‘No praise, only votes’

Mr. Shivakumar also used the stage to seek the cooperation of apartment residents in the upcoming GBA elections.  

“I am not expecting any praise or compliments for the work being done by the government.  I want to be remembered for being good to people. The government belongs to the people. I don’t want anything else but votes,” he said.