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Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At Greater Bengaluru General ITBT & Retired Employees Housing Board Co-operative Society Limited (referred to as "the Society", "we", "us", or "our"), we are deeply committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you interact with us through our website (greaterbengaluruhousingsociety.com), membership applications, plot inquiries, or any other communication channel.

This policy is issued in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) of India and applicable cooperative housing regulations. By using our website or submitting your information to us, you (the "Data Principal") consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

a) Information You Provide Voluntarily:

• Full name, age, and date of birth — for identity verification and membership records.
• Contact details — phone number, email address, and postal address.
• Identification documents — Aadhaar, PAN, or other government-issued ID numbers as required for membership or plot registration.
• Employment details — for verifying eligibility as an ITBT sector or retired government employee.
• Payment information — bank account details, UPI IDs, or transaction references. We do not store full card/bank account details on our servers; payments are processed via secure third-party payment gateways.
• Plot application details — preferred plot size, location preference, and related project inquiries.

b) Technical Data Collected Automatically:

• IP address and approximate geographic location.
• Browser type, device type, and operating system.
• Pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns on our website.
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9 for details).

3. Purpose of Data Collection and Use

We process your personal data only for lawful purposes, including:

• Processing and managing your society membership applications.
• Handling plot allotment applications and maintaining allotment records.
• Processing payments and issuing receipts or acknowledgements.
• Communicating updates about society projects, meetings, and activities.
• Verifying eligibility criteria for membership as per society rules.
• Complying with legal obligations under cooperative housing law, RERA, and government directives.
• Improving the functionality and content of our website.
• Responding to your queries, complaints, or grievances.
• Fraud prevention and maintaining the security of society operations.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (DPDP Act, 2023)

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have explicitly provided consent at the time of data collection.
• Legitimate Use: Where processing is necessary for performing our obligations as a registered cooperative housing society.
• Legal Obligation: Where we are required to process or disclose data to comply with applicable laws, court orders, or government authority requests.

You may withdraw consent at any time; however, this may affect our ability to provide membership or plot-related services to you.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party. Your data may be shared only in the following circumstances:

• Authorized Society Personnel: Internal staff and committee members who need access to process your application.
• Government and Regulatory Authorities: As required by law (e.g., RERA, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Income Tax authorities).
• Trusted Service Partners: Third-party vendors such as payment processors and IT service providers, bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
• Legal Proceedings: Where disclosure is necessary to protect the legal rights or safety of the Society or its members.

6. Payment Data and Financial Information

Your financial transactions are processed through secure, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment gateways. We do not store your full bank account numbers, credit/debit card numbers, or CVV details on our systems.

Transaction reference numbers and payment confirmations may be stored for audit, legal compliance, and dispute resolution purposes. You are advised to retain your payment receipts and not share payment details with unauthorized individuals.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmitted via our website.
• Secure servers with restricted access controls.
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability monitoring.
• Confidentiality agreements with all staff and service partners who handle personal data.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no digital platform can guarantee absolute security. Members are advised to report any suspected security breach to us immediately.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as:

• Your membership with the Society is active, or
• Required by applicable law (e.g., cooperative society regulations, tax laws, RERA guidelines), or
• Necessary to resolve disputes, enforce agreements, or comply with legal obligations.

Upon expiry of the retention period or upon a valid deletion request, your personal data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function correctly.
• Analytics Cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., Google Analytics). These collect anonymized data.

You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising or profiling.

10. Your Rights as a Data Principal

Under the DPDP Act, 2023, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a summary of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to Grievance Redressal: Lodge a complaint with our designated Grievance Officer (see Section 12).
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time.
• Right to Nominate: Nominate a person to exercise your data rights on your behalf in the event of incapacity or death.

We will respond to all requests within 30 days of receipt.

11. Third-Party Websites and Links

Our website may contain links to external websites such as government portals (RERA, BBMP, BDA) or payment gateways. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit through links on our platform.

12. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we have designated a Grievance Officer:

All grievances will be acknowledged within 48 hours and resolved within 30 days. If unsatisfied, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India.

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in applicable laws or our internal data practices. All revisions will be published on this page with an updated effective date. For significant changes, we will notify registered members via email or SMS at least 15 days prior to the changes taking effect.

14. Contact Us

This Privacy Policy is governed under the laws of India. Any disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the jurisdiction of competent courts in Bangalore, Karnataka.