Revenue Site or Approved Layout: What a Bengaluru Plot Buyer Must Check

A software engineer near Hoskote was shown a plot at a price that seemed a gift, in a layout the agent called BDA approved. His lawyer made two calls and the gift unravelled. The area did not even fall under the BDA's jurisdiction, the land was still classified as agricultural, and the layout had never been sanctioned by any planning authority. It was a revenue site dressed up in borrowed words. The plot was real, the boards were freshly painted, and almost nothing the seller had said about its legal status was true.

The short answer. A revenue site is a plot carved out of agricultural or revenue land without a planning authority's approval, and it carries real risks: no clean khata, no easy bank loan, and in bad cases a threat of demolition. An approved plot instead sits on land that has been DC converted from agricultural use and then sanctioned as a layout, and it supports an A khata, a home loan and a building plan. The trade-off is blunt. A revenue site is cheaper for a reason, and the discount reflects a legal gap you inherit, so unless you fully understand and accept that gap, prefer a DC converted plot in an approved layout with an A khata.

What is a revenue site, and why is it risky?

A revenue site is a plot formed on agricultural or revenue land that was never approved as a layout by a competent planning authority such as the BDA, BMRDA, BIAAPA or BBMP. Because the land is often unconverted and the layout unsanctioned, these sites sit outside the formal planning system, which is exactly where the risk lives. They typically carry a provisional B khata rather than a regular A khata, and they can be caught up in action against unauthorised layouts.

The risks are concrete rather than theoretical. Most banks will not finance a revenue site, so you may need to pay in full, and getting a building plan sanction can be difficult or impossible. In serious cases, where a layout sits on land that should never have been built on, the authorities have demolished structures before. A low price on a revenue site is not a bargain so much as a discount for a legal gap you are being asked to carry.

Location is not a defence either. A revenue site in a sought after pocket is still a revenue site, and a beautiful road frontage does not convert the land or sanction the layout. What decides the risk is the paperwork, not the postcode, so a plot in a fashionable corridor with missing approvals is riskier than a modest plot in an approved layout with every document in place.

What is DC conversion, and why does it come first?

DC conversion is the Deputy Commissioner's order, under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, that changes a parcel's use from agricultural to non-agricultural. Every piece of land in Karnataka starts life as agricultural, and until it is converted it legally remains farmland even if buildings already stand on it. Without conversion, you cannot get a city A khata, a building plan sanction, a home loan, or a permanent utility connection, no matter what a brochure promises.

This is why the conversion order is the first document to ask for on any peripheral plot. You can confirm the land's classification through the state land records, and the revenue portal at landrecords.karnataka.gov.in is the official reference for the record of rights that shows whether land is still agricultural. Reading the record alongside the RTC or pahani before buying a site is the surest way to catch unconverted land early.

Is DC conversion enough, or do you need layout approval too?

Conversion is necessary but not sufficient. A DC conversion order changes the land use, but it does not by itself permit the land to be divided into individual plots. For that you need a separate layout approval from the relevant planning authority, the individual plot formed under that sanctioned layout, a khata for the plot, and finally a building plan sanction before you can build. Each of these is a distinct step, and a seller who waves only a conversion order has shown you the first of several.

Jurisdiction matters here too. A layout must be approved by the authority that actually governs that area, so a claim of one authority's approval in another authority's territory is a warning sign, not a comfort. When every step lines up, from conversion to layout approval to plot to khata, you are looking at a plot such as one in an approved development like Merusri Serenova at Rajanukunte, rather than a revenue site with a persuasive board.

How do A khata and B khata fit in?

The khata is where all of this shows up in one place. Once land is DC converted and the layout is approved, a plot becomes eligible for an A khata from the local body, which sits in the regular property register and supports a building plan sanction, a bank loan and a clean resale. An A khata is, in effect, the civic body treating the property as fully in order.

A B khata, by contrast, is a provisional entry for properties that do not yet meet those conditions, and most lenders will not finance a B khata plot while plan approvals stay difficult. That is why B khata plots trade at a persistent discount however attractive the location looks. Our guide on A khata versus B khata goes deeper into what each one means for a buyer.

Can a revenue site be regularised?

Sometimes, but never assume it. Karnataka has run regularisation drives that allow qualifying B khata properties to move to A khata on payment of a charge, but eligibility is property specific and tied to the land meeting the underlying conditions, such as valid conversion and an approvable layout. A revenue site on land that can never be converted, for instance land in a green belt or a lake buffer, is not going to be rescued by a regularisation window.

So treat any promise of easy regularisation with caution, and price the plot on its status today rather than on a hoped for upgrade. If a regularisation route genuinely applies, confirm the specific eligibility and cost in writing before you rely on it, and take legal advice, because the difference between a regularisable plot and a permanently stuck one is the whole value of the deal.

How do you check a plot before buying?

Work from the land upward. Start with the record of rights to see whether the land is agricultural or converted, then ask for the DC conversion order, the layout approval from the correct authority, the plot's khata, and the encumbrance certificate. Confirm that the authority claimed actually has jurisdiction over that location, and match the plot on the ground to the sanctioned layout. Where any link is missing, treat the plot as a revenue site until proven otherwise.

Above all, do not let a low price or a confident sales pitch stand in for documents. Take legal advice on the chain of approvals, and walk away rather than gamble on a plot that cannot show its conversion and layout sanction.

Physical signs help too. An approved layout usually shows the marks of formal planning, with proper roads, storm water drains, reserved civic amenity space and a park, laid out to a sanctioned plan. A hastily cut revenue layout often lacks these, with narrow roads and no reserved amenities, because it was never designed to a standard the authority signed off on. Use these visual cues as a prompt to dig into the documents, not as proof in themselves. The checklist below puts the key steps in order.

1. Pull the record of rights to check whether the land is agricultural or converted.
2. Ask for the DC conversion order and read it against the survey number.
3. Ask for the layout approval from the authority that governs that area.
4. Confirm the plot has a khata, and whether it is A khata or B khata.
5. Check the encumbrance certificate and the title chain for the plot.
6. Match the plot on the ground to the sanctioned layout plan.
7. Take legal advice before you pay, and prefer an A khata approved plot.

Frequently asked questions

What is a revenue site in Bengaluru?

A revenue site is a plot carved out of agricultural or revenue land without approval from a planning authority such as the BDA, BMRDA or BBMP. Because the land is often not converted and the layout is not sanctioned, such sites usually carry a B khata, struggle to get bank loans, and can face action against unauthorised layouts.

What is DC conversion, and why is it needed?

DC conversion is the Deputy Commissioner's order under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act that changes land use from agricultural to non-agricultural. Without it, land legally stays farmland even with buildings on it, so you cannot get an A khata, a building plan sanction or a bank loan. Always ask to see the conversion order.

Is DC conversion the same as layout approval?

No. DC conversion changes the land use, but it does not by itself allow the land to be split into plots. You still need a separate layout approval from the planning authority, the individual plot formed under it, a khata and a building plan sanction. A conversion order alone is a start, not a finished, buildable plot.

Can I get a home loan on a revenue site?

Usually not. Most banks and housing finance companies decline loans on revenue sites because of the legal risks, the missing conversion or layout approval, and the provisional B khata. That is a large part of why revenue sites trade at a discount. If financing matters to you, prefer a DC converted plot in an approved layout.

Last updated 2026-09-01. PropNewz Team.