GBA staff protest over e-khata rollout, allege harassment by seniors | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: Employees of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) staged protests across offices Tuesday, alleging harassment and threats of suspension related to the issuance of e-khatas. Staff wore black ribbons and badges and submitted a representation to GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao, claiming repeated threats from special commissioner (revenue) Munish Moudgil.The GBA Municipal Officers and Employees Welfare Association said employees have faced undue pressure over the past few months, which has demoralised staff and hindered the smooth rollout of e-khata services. “Officers are working under fear, which is not conducive to reform or efficient public service,” a member alleged.
The association also protested what they called the “illegal suspension” of GBA South Zone deputy commissioner DK Babu and revenue officer Varalakshmi, and held a candlelight vigil Monday evening to highlight their concerns.GBA officials stressed that e-khata applications should be rejected only on clear grounds such as impersonation, specific court orders, or cases where the land is identified as govt property. They said of nearly 1,50,000 applications processed so far, about 25,000 were rejected strictly on these grounds, and any arbitrary cancellations could hurt citizens and undermine confidence in the system. “Applications from properties owned by many high court judges, ministers, and top sportspersons have been rejected. We, not these officers who are rejecting the applications, are answering them,” a senior officer said.However, Munish Moudgil denied misuse of authority, stating that no official has been suspended and that a rejection audit team has been constituted to ensure accountability. “The idea of digitising khata records is to eliminate arbitrary decisions, not encourage them,” he pointed out.Maheshwar Rao acknowledged the staff’s grievances, assuring that “genuine concerns will be taken seriously” while the administration works towards smooth revenue operations. “We want to ensure that genuine grievances are addressed. There is a lot of work lined up in the coming year, and we will work towards ensuring better revenue. While I understand their concerns, we will look into their grievances seriously,” he said.The protest comes as the 100-day window for B khata to A khata conversion nears its end. So far, about 3,000 applications have been submitted, with 35 verified and e-khatas issued. Employees urged the GBA to consider extending the application deadline to ensure broader participation without putting undue pressure on staff.
