BENGALURU: Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi on Tuesday directed the Managing Director of Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation (RGHC) and Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district to provide basic amenities, especially electricity, to houses allotted to HIV-affected people in Kengeri by October 16.
Acting on a complaint filed by advocate Virupaksha T T and others, Justice Adi slammed the RGHC and Bengaluru Urban district administration for making the HIV-affected beneficiaries run from pillar to post for basic amenities.
“Power, water, drainage and roads are basic amenities. If they are denied, there is no point in giving housing facility. Denial of such facilities amounts to violation of human rights,” Justice Adi said in his notice.
He said HIV-affected people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes were promised housing facilities in 2010. Now, though the houses have been allotted, they are being made to suffer, he said.
He directed the Bengaluru Urban DC and Managing Directors of RGHS and BESCOM to convene a meeting of the beneficiaries and redress their grievances by October 16. Justice Adi asked them to appear in person and submit a compliance report on October 16.
The complainant also submitted that the beneficiaries were not in a position to seek power supply individually as they have not been issued title deeds. According to complaint, though funds were sanctioned by the state government to provide housing facilities to 160 HIV affected people, the corporation delayed the handing over of constructed houses.
The complainant alleged that RGHC was not taking any steps to provide housing facilities despite the Social Welfare Department coming forward with a matching fund on behalf of the HIV-affected persons. Considering managing director’s , RGHC, the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district has handed over possession to 97 beneficiaries.
The General Manager (Technical), RGHC, told the Upa Lokayukta the beneficiaries had not availed of power by making payments and representation to the BESCOM individually. There was power supply when the houses were being handed over, but later, due to a defect in the transformer, it has been cut off, he added.