BENGALURU: Members of the SC/ST community under Bahujan Vimochana Chaluvali are lashing out at the government for the over 12-year delay in allotment of sites, despite Rs 42 crore being allocated from the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) consolidated fund -- Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan (SCP/TSP) -- for basic infrastructure at the identified land. They objected to the government’s decision to place eligible beneficiaries under the ‘Ashraya’ scheme to get homes.
S Gangadhar, secretary, Bahujan Vimochana Chaluvali, an organisation for the welfare of SC/STs which has been fighting for the cause of 1,110 eligible beneficiaries since 2013, said pourakarmikas and 1,110 eligible SC/ST community members selected for the allotment of sites measuring 20x30 sqft in Dasanapura hobli in Bengaluru North and Kengeri hobli (Bengaluru Urban) are waiting for over a decade. Now, instead of issuing allotment letters, the communities are being told they will be accommodated under the ‘Ashraya’ scheme.
Chaluvali members said Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has been misguided by officials to accommodate beneficiaries under the ‘Ashraya’ scheme, for which local MLAs will call the shots in deciding the beneficiaries.
“There is a High Court ruling that eligible beneficiaries belonging to SC/ST will have to be given shelter under the SCP/TSP. Accordingly, if these beneficiaries are now clubbed with the Ashraya scheme, they will lose out as local MLAs will be heading the committee and will first try to accommodate voters and people from their assembly segment,” stressed Gangadhar.
He added that the decision to club beneficiaries came recently from the DCM. Officials had drawn up the plan, and the DCM was briefed. “We got over 20 acres allotted after a long struggle, but the civic body and revenue department have not shown interest in forming the layout and issuing allotment letters,” stated Gangadhar.