Updated 23 October 2026. We re-read NammaWard's page-referenced account of the 18-page Kannada Gazette. These are statewide rules, but they matter most on Bengaluru's edges, where villa and plot buyers deal with panchayat records. This guide explains what to check before you buy.

First: is the property in a gram panchayat at all?

A Bengaluru postal address does not mean city jurisdiction, and being outside a city corporation does not automatically mean panchayat jurisdiction; a municipality may govern it (NammaWard, 10 October 2026). Confirm the local body for the exact survey number first. This matters more now, as the state is reported to be planning to move many panchayats into the GBA or new municipalities: Anekal, Jigani, Attibele Into Greater Bengaluru? October 2026.

What changed on 8 October 2026?

  • Time limit: the period in rule 5(1) goes from 15 to 22 working days, and rule 8's period changes similarly; rule 12(6)(a) goes from 15 days to 10 days including a seven-day notice (NammaWard). These are not a promise that every mutation finishes in that time.
  • Steps: a seven-day public objection notice, document and site inspection, PDO scrutiny, verification by the Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer, then digital approval (NammaWard).
  • Deemed approval exists where stages are not completed in time, but the rules still require document and site checks, and certificates obtained unlawfully can be cancelled (NammaWard).
  • Appeals: complaints and appeals go to the Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary (Development), subject to stated exceptions (NammaWard).
  • Status: final rules, after a draft of 22 July 2026 and public objections (NammaWard).

Form 11A vs Form 11B: what is the difference now?

In e-Swathu, Form 11A is the regular property record and Form 11B covers properties outside the standard category. The amendment sharpens what each can mean (NammaWard, 10 October 2026):

  • Older gramathana buildings without registered documents: a Form 11A route only for buildings created before 7 April 2025, with prescribed evidence, and the building plus adjoining area must not exceed 4,000 sq ft.
  • Missed in the survey: buildings and sites created before 7 April 2025 that were left out can apply for Form 11B through e-Swathu, with the Annexure 2 documents.
  • Evidence asked for includes a village map, a tax register extract or recorded PID from before 7 April 2025, electricity bill or ESCOM account evidence from before that date, and a site mahazar. An electricity bill alone may not be enough.
  • Buildings on agricultural land by the original owner: Form 11B covers only the built-up area of the building.
  • Housing-scheme buildings on agricultural land: issued in the landowner's name with the beneficiary as occupant, and the entry must record that transfer is not permitted.
  • Forest Rights Act grants: heritable only; sale is not permitted.
  • Conversion: some Form 11B properties may later be converted to Form 11A as the government notifies. That has not happened automatically.

Can I buy a property with a Form 11B record?

Sometimes, but the record alone does not tell you. The new rules say some 11B entries must state that sale is not permitted, and an 11B on agricultural land covers only the building footprint, not the land around it. NammaWard's practical lesson is that a tax entry or software certificate does not clear title or planning defects (10 October 2026).

  • Ask for the underlying registered document or grant, not just the e-Swathu printout.
  • Read the 11B entry for any no-transfer remark.
  • Check land use: is it converted for non-agricultural use, and is the layout approved by the planning authority?
  • Check the encumbrance certificate on Kaveri 2.0 and the RTC on Bhoomi: Bhoomi, Kaveri 2.0 and e-Khata: How to Check Karnataka Land Records Online Before You Buy (2026)
  • Check the area against the 4,000 sq ft cap if the property relies on the gramathana route.
  • If the seller is mid-application, keep copies of the acknowledgement and any objection notices; a missed deadline is not automatic legalisation.

Does this raise panchayat property tax?

Not as a general rule. The amendment changes document tables, the mutation schedule (sale, inheritance, partition, mortgage, apartments) and some business licence and factory fees, but NammaWard says it does not support a claim of a flat increase in household property tax (10 October 2026).

If you would rather avoid panchayat-record risk

Plots in BDA, BMRDA or BIAAPA-approved layouts, and flats in RERA-registered projects, come with a clearer approval trail. Our explainers: BDA vs BMRDA vs BIAAPA Approved Layouts: Which Authority Governs Your Plot? and The Best Plots to Buy in Bangalore: A Buyer's Guide. For villas, see /villas.