Buying a plot or villa near Devanahalli: BIAAPA approvals, e-Swathu and the checks that matter

The short answer: most land around Devanahalli and the airport is outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Planning there is handled by the Bengaluru International Airport Area Planning Authority (BIAAPA), and property records are kept by gram panchayats on the e-Swathu system, not as a city e-khata. Before you buy a plot, check four things: the land was converted for non-farm use, the layout was approved by BIAAPA (or the right authority), your plot has been released for sale, and the e-Swathu record is in order. Near the airport, also check the height you're allowed to build.

We wrote about the wider area in our North Bengaluru guide. This one goes deeper into the paperwork, because that's where most problems up here begin.

Who's in charge outside the city

Not all of the airport corridor is under BIAAPA, and some areas have moved between authorities over the years. The first question for any plot is: which authority approved this layout? A brochure saying "BMRDA approved" or "BIAAPA approved" isn't an answer; the approval order and its number are.

1. Land conversion

Most of this land was farmland. Before it can be used for homes, it needs a conversion order from the district administration allowing non-agricultural use (often called a "DC conversion"). Without it, you can't get a valid e-Swathu record, a building plan or, in most cases, a home loan. Ask for the conversion order and check that its survey numbers match the layout and your sale deed. The land's history is on the RTC (record of rights), which your lawyer can check on the state's Bhoomi land records.

2. Layout approval and plot release

A legal layout has an approved plan showing plots, roads, parks and civic amenity sites. Two separate things matter:

• The layout approval, which confirms the layout fits the zoning and the planning rules.
• The release order for your plot. Authorities often release plots for sale in stages, as the developer completes roads, drains and water lines and hands over the public spaces. A plot in an approved layout that hasn't been released can't properly be sold yet.

Get both in writing, and match your plot number to the approved plan. Unapproved "revenue layouts" are sold cheaply because they lack these approvals; they are very hard to build on, borrow against or sell.

3. The e-Swathu record

Outside the city, the gram panchayat issues the property record through e-Swathu. The forms you'll hear about are Form 9 and Form 11 (including 11B for properties that don't fully comply). Your lawyer should confirm which form the plot has and what it says, the same way they would check an A-khata or B-khata in the city. Ask for it before you pay an advance, and check the owner's name and area match the sale deed.

4. Height limits near the airport

Around Kempegowda International Airport, and near the Air Force station at Yelahanka, buildings are limited in height to keep flight paths clear. Any building above the permitted height needs a no-objection certificate from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). For a plot, ask the developer what height can be built under the planning rules and airport limits. For an apartment or villa project, check that the cleared height matches what's being built.

5. The usual checks, too

• Title and Encumbrance Certificate going back at least 30 years. See our documents checklist.
• Lakes, drains and green belts. Land within lake buffers, storm-water drains or zones reserved for other uses can't be built on as a home.
• Water and power. Find out whether there will be a piped connection, borewells or tankers, and when electricity reaches the plot.
• RERA. Plotted developments above the size limits must be registered with Karnataka RERA. See how to check.

Questions to ask the developer

1. Which authority approved the layout, and can I see the approval order and its number?
2. Has my plot been released for sale? Can I see the release order?
3. What is the e-Swathu form number for my plot, and whose name is it in?
4. What height can be built on this plot under the planning rules and airport limits?
5. Where will water come from, and when will power and roads reach my plot?
6. Is the project registered with Karnataka RERA?

Plots vs villas vs apartments up here

A plot gives you the most control and the longest wait: you'll need your own building plan approval, and the area around you may take years to fill in. A villa in a gated project hands that work to the developer, but you're relying on their approvals and their delivery. Apartments near the airport are fewer, and the height limits shape what can be built. Whichever you choose, the resale market is thinner than in the established parts of the city, so plan to hold.

What we recommend

• Ask for the conversion order, layout approval, release order and e-Swathu record before you pay anything.
• Match survey numbers and plot numbers across every document.
• Have an independent lawyer who knows the airport area check the file.
• Buy for the long term, and judge the location on today's roads, not the ones promised.