The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka announced on June 23, 2026, that the state cabinet has approved a one-time exemption from Occupancy Certificate (OC) rules to allow permanent electricity connections for residential buildings across Karnataka — a move aimed at resolving a long-pending regulatory bottleneck affecting thousands of homeowners.

What Was Decided

The exemption was cleared at a Karnataka Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on June 20, 2026, and the Government Order takes effect from June 22, 2026. Eligible citizens have a narrow window of just 15 days from that date to apply for a new permanent electricity connection under this scheme. The decision covers residential buildings across the entire state — from Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits and municipal corporations to urban local bodies and Gram Panchayat areas.

Context

For years, residents of buildings that were constructed without obtaining an Occupancy Certificate — a document issued by local authorities confirming a structure meets approved building plans and safety norms — have been denied permanent electricity connections. This has left many households dependent on temporary or illegal connections, creating both a service gap and a compliance grey zone. Rapid urbanisation across Karnataka, particularly in and around Bengaluru, has meant that a significant share of the residential housing stock exists in this regulatory limbo. State governments across India have periodically issued time-bound exemptions to bridge such gaps between unplanned construction and formal utility access.

Policy Backdrop

Karnataka has a precedent for such interventions. The Akrama Sakrama scheme, launched in 2014–15, sought to regularise unauthorised constructions and ease access to civic services in urban local bodies. The current OC exemption follows a similar philosophy — using cabinet-level action to provide citizen relief while sidestepping the slower process of full regularisation. The exemption applies specifically to residential buildings on sites up to 2,400 sq. ft. with a 20% relaxation, including G+3 buildings and Stilt Parking + 4-floor buildings. It also extends to a broader category of rural structures: farmers' residential houses, farmhouses, agri-equipment sheds, cattle sheds, and sericulture houses — signalling that the relief is not limited to urban centres.

Stakeholders and Impact

The beneficiaries span a wide cross-section of Karnataka's population. Urban homeowners in Bengaluru and other municipal areas who built homes without completing the OC process stand to gain immediate access to permanent power connections. In rural areas, farmers and agricultural households whose ancillary structures — from cattle sheds to sericulture units — were ineligible for formal connections will also be covered. The inclusion of Gram Panchayat areas is particularly significant, as rural construction has historically operated with less formal documentation than urban projects. Electricity distribution companies in Karnataka will be responsible for processing applications within the stipulated window.

What's Next

The critical variable is implementation. With a 15-day application window starting June 22, 2026, the pressure falls on both citizens to act quickly and on electricity distribution companies to process applications efficiently. Any follow-up government orders or operational guidelines from the power utilities will determine whether the relief reaches its intended beneficiaries in practice. If the scheme sees high uptake, it could prompt the state to consider a more permanent policy framework for addressing OC-compliance gaps in the future.