Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has directed officials to fully digitise Bengaluru’s Transferable Development Rights (TDR) system, including the approval, transfer and final utilisation of TDR certificates used in road widening and new infrastructure projects.
The direction was issued at a meeting held at Vikas Soudha on Monday, where the minister said a paper-based process had created delays, weak tracking and a lack of transparency in land acquisition linked to road projects. The proposed digital system will cover the process from the initial verification of road and property details through scrutiny and the final issue of a TDR certificate.
TDR is used as a development compensation mechanism when land is required for public infrastructure. Instead of receiving only direct monetary compensation, eligible landowners can receive development rights that may be used or transferred under applicable planning rules. In Bengaluru, the mechanism has been associated with land required for road widening and the creation of new roads.
According to the minister’s statement, the existing system has largely relied on physical files and does not provide adequate visibility into the status of applications. This has contributed to public dissatisfaction and reduced confidence among landowners and other applicants, he said. The proposed platform is intended to allow citizens to track their files online at different stages of processing.
The digitisation plan is not limited to the issue of TDR certificates. Officials have also been instructed to bring the purchase and sale of TDR, as well as its final utilisation, onto the digital platform. This would create an electronic record of the certificate’s movement from approval to transfer and eventual use, although the government has not announced a specific launch date, technical design or operating rules for the platform.
The reform is expected to reduce dependence on paper records, limit the role of intermediaries and provide a clearer trail of decisions. The minister said a faster and more transparent system could make land acquisition for road projects easier and help address the infrastructure requirements created by Bengaluru’s growing traffic congestion.
At the meeting, officials including commissioners Ramesh D.S., Pommala Sunil Kumar and Ramesh K.N., Bengaluru city chief executive officer R. Yatheesh and other officers were present. The government’s next step is to begin the administrative and technical work required to digitise the verification, approval, transfer and utilisation stages of the TDR process.
