BDA vs BMRDA vs BIAAPA Approved Layouts: Which Authority Governs Your Plot?

Buying a plot or a villa on the edge of Bengaluru raises a question that apartment buyers rarely meet: which planning authority approved this layout? The answer depends on where the land sits. Three names recur, BDA, BMRDA and BIAAPA, and they are not interchangeable.

This guide explains what each covers, what a buyer should verify and the 2015 rule that changed when sites can legally be sold. It is general information, not a substitute for a lawyer's title check on a specific survey number.

The three bodies and where they operate

• BDA (Bangalore Development Authority): plans and develops within Bengaluru city's planning area. A BDA-approved layout sits within the BDA's jurisdiction.
• BMRDA (Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority): covers the larger Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, which includes Bangalore Urban and Rural districts and Malur taluk of Kolar, excluding areas covered by BDA, BIAAPA and other local planning authorities (VaultProptech's summary of the Act).
• BIAAPA (Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority): the local planning authority for the area around Kempegowda International Airport, mainly Devanahalli taluk. VaultProptech describes its approvals as stricter, including an airport NOC requirement for building near the airport.
• Other local planning authorities: Citizen Matters reports that eight local planning authorities, including BMRDA and BIAAPA, approve layouts in the region.

A subtle point: BMRDA frames rules, the local authority approves

Citizen Matters has explained that BMRDA acts as the Director of Town Planning for local planning bodies in the region. In practice, verify that the layout was sanctioned by the jurisdictional local planning authority rather than assuming that a BMRDA letterhead is the approval. A buyer should ask who the sanctioning authority is for this specific survey number and see the final sanction document.

The 2015 rule that every plot buyer should know

Citizen Matters reports that the amended Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act (Section 17) changed developer obligations in September 2015: the Governor's assent was received in September 2015 and a gazette notification followed on 10 September 2015. Under the earlier 2005 circular, developers could sell 60 percent of sites right after approval. Under the amended rule, developers must complete infrastructure such as roads, water supply and sewerage before any site registration occurs.

The practical implication: a layout offering registrations while the roads and drains are still unbuilt may be a compliance concern. Ask for the completion or development certificate for the layout and confirm it with the authority.

Provisional versus final approval

• Provisional or technical approval is not final sanction. Citizen Matters advises checking that the layout has received final sanction from the local planning authority.
• Ask for the approval order, the sanctioned layout plan and the conversion order from agricultural to non-agricultural use.
• Check that the plot number, dimensions and survey number on your sale deed match the sanctioned plan.
• Verify civic amenity (CA) and park sites are reserved as per the plan and not being sold.

How this connects to khata

A khata is the municipal record, not the layout's planning approval, but the two interact. Under Bengaluru's current rules, B-khata properties are those that pay tax without meeting compliance requirements, which often includes revenue layouts without approval (PropNewz, 26 August 2026). Buying in an approved layout is the simplest way to avoid that. See our khata article for conversion rules and the e-Aasthi checks.

A due-diligence checklist for plot buyers

• Identify the sanctioning authority from the layout approval and confirm it with the authority's office or website.
• Obtain the final sanction, the layout plan and the infrastructure completion record.
• Check the K-RERA registration if the layout is a registered project, which applies above 500 square metres or 8 units (Landeed's K-RERA guide).
• Review the encumbrance certificate for at least the past 15 years, the title chain and the conversion order.
• Ask whether the plot will receive an A-khata and under which corporation or panchayat jurisdiction.
• In Devanahalli or the airport area, ask for the airport NOC if the planned building height requires it.
• Visit the site and compare the ground with the plan: roads, drains and boundaries.

Our view

An approved layout costs more than a revenue site, and a significant part of that premium pays for legal clarity. Buyers should know the authority, see the final sanction and refuse registration on layouts with unbuilt infrastructure. A good site is not a bargain if the paperwork may later fail.