Water, Sanitation, Power: The Booking Schedule RERA Section 11(3) Gives Bengaluru Buyers

In Bengaluru, the question that ends most site visits is not about the clubhouse. It is about water. Where will it come from, and when? A sales executive may answer with a smile and a word like "soon". The RERA Act asks for something more specific. At the time of booking, the promoter has to give you a stage-wise time schedule of completion that includes provisions for civic infrastructure like water, sanitation and electricity. That one document turns a vague promise into dates you can hold the builder to.

The short answer. Section 11(3) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 makes the promoter responsible, at the time of booking and issue of the allotment letter, to make available the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications by display at the site or another specified place, and the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for civic infrastructure like water, sanitation and electricity. Section 19(2) gives the allottee a matching right to know that schedule as agreed in the agreement for sale. The trade-off: asking for these documents at booking can slow a quick decision by a few days, but booking without them leaves the most important practical promises, like water, undated.

What must the builder give you at the time of booking?

Two things, under Section 11(3). Clause (a) covers sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications approved by the competent authority, made available by display at the site or such other place as regulations specify. Clause (b) covers the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for civic infrastructure like water, sanitation and electricity.

The timing is set in the opening words: "at the time of the booking and issue of allotment letter". That is before most buyers have paid much, and before they sign an agreement for sale. It is the moment when asking costs the least.

The sanctioned plan side is covered in our guide to what a sanctioned plan means under RERA. This piece focuses on clause (b), the schedule, because in Bengaluru the civic infrastructure is often the part buyers worry about most.

What does a stage-wise schedule actually contain?

The Act fixes its content in outline: the stages of completion of the project, with their timing, and the provisions for civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity. It does not prescribe a format, so schedules vary. A useful one lists the construction stages for your tower, the expected time for each, and separate lines for how and when water supply, sewage and drainage, and electricity connections will be arranged.

Section 19(2) describes the buyer's side of the same document. It says the allottee shall be entitled to know the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for water, sanitation, electricity and other amenities and services, as agreed between the promoter and the allottee in accordance with the agreement for sale. The phrase "as agreed" links the schedule to the contract you sign.

So read the schedule next to your agreement for sale. If the agreement refers to a schedule annexure, check it is the same document you were given at booking. If the two differ, ask which one governs before you sign.

How does the schedule connect to the occupancy certificate?

Directly. Section 2(zf) of the Act defines an occupancy certificate as one issued by the competent authority permitting occupation of a building, as provided under local laws, which has provision for civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity. The same three services appear in the booking schedule and in the definition of the certificate that allows you to move in.

That gives a buyer a simple way to think about the schedule. The water, sanitation and electricity lines are not extras; they are things the building needs before it can be occupied under the Act's definition. A schedule that leaves them vague is leaving the most important part of the timeline vague.

The registration file adds another layer. Section 4(2)(e) requires the promoter's registration application to include the plan of development works and proposed facilities, including drinking water facilities. Compare what the schedule says with what was filed, using the project page on the K-RERA portal.

Why does water deserve a separate line in Bengaluru?

Because the source of water decides daily life in the building. A schedule that says only "water supply: on completion" does not tell you whether the plan is a municipal connection, borewells, tankers or a mix, or when each will be ready. Ask for that detail in writing.

Our guide to checking Cauvery, borewell and tanker water before buying sets out the questions to ask and the documents to look for. The Section 11(3) schedule is where the builder's answers should be written down with dates.

Ask the same for sanitation. Where does sewage go, through which treatment arrangement, and when will it be commissioned? And for electricity, ask whether the schedule covers the permanent connection and when it is expected, separate from any temporary construction supply.

What can you do if the schedule slips?

Start with the record. Because Section 19(2) ties the schedule to the agreement for sale, a slip against an agreed date is something you can raise in writing, citing the stage and the date. Ask the builder for a revised schedule and the reason for the change.

Track the project's own disclosures too. Section 11(1) requires the promoter to keep a quarterly up to date status of the project, and of approvals taken and pending, on its web page on the Authority's website. A gap between the schedule and the quarterly status is worth noting with screenshots.

If the slip becomes a dispute, Section 18(3) makes the promoter liable to pay compensation for failing to discharge obligations under the Act or the agreement for sale, and Section 31(1) lets any aggrieved person file a complaint with the Authority or the adjudicating officer. If the delay affects possession itself, Section 18(1) provides for interest or a refund with interest and compensation, depending on whether you stay or withdraw.

Does any of this help if you buy an under-construction flat on resale?

It can. Section 2(d) of the Act defines an allottee as the person to whom an apartment has been allotted, sold or otherwise transferred by the promoter, and includes the person who subsequently acquires the allotment through sale, transfer or otherwise. A buyer who steps into an original allottee's shoes before completion is, on the Act's definition, an allottee too.

That makes the original booking documents worth asking for. Request the seller's allotment letter, agreement for sale and the stage-wise schedule they received at booking, along with any revised schedules sent since. Read them together with the builder's latest quarterly update on the RERA project page, so you know which stages are done and which civic infrastructure lines are still open.

Ask the builder directly, too. Once the transfer is recorded with the promoter, you can write in your own name asking for the current schedule and the expected dates for water, sanitation and electricity. For a ready flat, the questions shift: ask for the occupancy certificate and check that the services it relies on are actually connected before you pay the balance.

What should Bengaluru buyers ask for at booking?

Use this checklist before you pay a booking amount:

1. Ask for the stage-wise time schedule of completion under Section 11(3)(b) in writing.
2. Check that the schedule has separate, dated lines for water, sanitation and electricity.
3. Ask where the water will come from and when each source will be ready.
4. Get copies of the sanctioned plans and specifications, or note where they are displayed.
5. Compare the schedule with the drinking water facilities filed on the RERA project page.
6. Check that the agreement for sale refers to the same schedule you were given.
7. Keep the schedule with your allotment letter and track it against quarterly updates.

A builder confident in its timeline will usually put it in writing without fuss. If the answer to a request for a dated schedule is a verbal assurance, that tells you something too.

Bengaluru buyer FAQs on the booking schedule

What must a builder give me at the time of booking under RERA?

Section 11(3) of the RERA Act requires the promoter, at booking and issue of the allotment letter, to make available the sanctioned plans, layout plans and specifications, and the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including provisions for civic infrastructure like water, sanitation and electricity.

Do I have a right to know when water and electricity will be ready?

Yes. Section 19(2) of the RERA Act says the allottee shall be entitled to know the stage-wise time schedule of completion of the project, including the provisions for water, sanitation, electricity and other amenities and services, as agreed between the promoter and the allottee under the agreement for sale.

Why do water, sanitation and electricity matter for the OC?

Section 2(zf) of the RERA Act defines an occupancy certificate as one permitting occupation of a building, as provided under local laws, which has provision for civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity. The same services appear in the booking schedule under Section 11(3)(b).

Where can I check the builder's planned drinking water facilities?

Section 4(2)(e) of the RERA Act requires the promoter's registration application to include the plan of development works and proposed facilities, including drinking water facilities. Section 11(1) requires those details on the project's public page, so check the K-RERA portal and compare with the schedule.

Last updated 2026-10-23. PropNewz Team.