Karnataka Govt to Provide Alternative Housing to Kogilu Demolition Victims: CM Siddaramaiah
CM Siddaramaiah announces alternative homes for genuine Kogilu victims.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared on Monday that the state government will provide alternative housing to verified genuine victims displaced by the demolition of 167 illegal sheds in Kogilu, north Bengaluru, in a decisive move to mitigate the mounting political controversy and humanitarian concerns arising from the enforcement action on encroached government land.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority has been tasked with conducting a rigorous scrutiny process on Tuesday and Wednesday to identify eligible beneficiaries who lack any existing house or residential site, with formal allotment of accommodation in nearby multi-storey buildings scheduled for Thursday to facilitate swift rehabilitation within a seven-kilometre radius of the original location.
The sheds, unlawfully constructed on 15 acres of land earmarked for a solid waste management plant by the former Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, were demolished on December 20, igniting sharp criticism from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who likened the operation to "bulldozer raj" prevalent in certain states, especially given that a significant portion of the affected families belonged to the Muslim community.
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Siddaramaiah asserted that stringent disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against erring officials who permitted the encroachments to persist since 2020-21 without intervention, while reinforcing that revenue and municipal bodies will receive enhanced powers to preempt and address future violations, underscoring that the provision of alternative shelter is extended solely on compassionate and humanitarian considerations.
Utilizing 1,087 completed housing units in Baiyyappanahalli under ongoing state schemes, beneficiaries will benefit from layered subsidies totaling up to Rs 9.50 lakh for Scheduled Caste and Tribe categories and Rs 8.7 lakh for general applicants, supplemented by a Rs 5 lakh direct contribution from the authority and a Rs 2.5 lakh loan component, with Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan personally overseeing the equitable distribution process.
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