BENGALURU: To tamp down the controversy surrounding the demolition of 167 illegally constructed ‘sheds’ at Kogilu in north Bengaluru, the Karnataka government on Monday decided to allocate alternative houses to genuine victims, who do not have either houses or residential sites.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority will on Tuesday and Wednesday scrutinise genuine beneficiaries and accommodation will be provided to them on Thursday. These houses will be within 7 km from Kogilu.
The sheds were demolished on December 20.
‘Strict action against those who allowed illegal sheds’
The issue triggered a row as Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Karnataka government of bringing Uttar Pradesh’s ‘bulldozer raj’ to the state as most victims were Muslim. To counter that, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan met on Monday evening to decide on the politically-rife issue.
After the meeting, Siddaramaiah said illegal structures had come up on 15 acres of government land reserved for a solid waste management plant by the erstwhile BBMP. “We are, however, providing alternative accommodation for the families on humanitarian grounds,” he clarified.
Siddaramaiah said he has ordered strict action against officials, who allowed illegal sheds to come up. “We will not allow encroachment of government land. The Revenue Department and corporation will be given powers to deal with such issues,” he said.
The Bengaluru deputy commissioner had handed over 15 acres to the municipal corporation to dispose of garbage. A rock quarry is also situated close by and the corporation has been dumping garbage as the land is in its possession, he added.
“The families were living in these illegal sheds from 2020-21. I told the revenue department and municipal corporation officials to take action. Such encroachments cannot happen without the knowledge of tahsildars and shirasthedars,” he added.
“If a house is built illegally, officials will be held responsible. I instructed the deputy commissioner and corporation officials to identify eligible people who were living in those sheds and to submit a list in two days,” he stated.
1,087 houses ready
The state government has constructed 1,087 houses in Baiyyappanahalli under its housing scheme. Once the list of genuine beneficiaries is received from the officials, accommodation will be provided in multi-storey buildings, he added.
Each house is priced at Rs 11.20 lakh and state and central government subsidies are available for the general category, Scheduled Castes and Tribes. GBA is instructed to give Rs 5 lakh. With all subsidies, the general category will get Rs 8.7 lakh and SC/STs Rs 9.50 lakh. Another Rs 2.5 lakh will be given as a loan. Zameer has been entrusted with the responsibility, Siddaramaiah said.
The government has built 1 lakh houses to provide shelter to the poor, he added.