Kogilu controversy: Housing scheme beneficiaries protest preferential allotment in Karnataka | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: The state govt’s decision to allot flats on “humanitarian grounds” to those displaced after the demolition drive at Kogilu triggered a protest in front of the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation (RGHC) office near Mysore Bank Circle Thursday, as scores of beneficiaries of govt housing schemes demanded possession of the houses allotted to them.“We’ve paid our share and have been waiting for five years to get the house. But the govt has ignored us and is rushing to rehabilitate encroachers following pressure from Kerala-based politicians. Why are we, local residents, being treated so badly?” asked a protester.
A total of 550 applicants shortlisted for the housing scheme by RGHC had received Rs 5 lakh as subsidy and were required to pay the remaining amount in instalments. Despite shelling out close to Rs 3 lakh, the beneficiaries did not receive houses, adding to the financial burden of paying monthly rent, the protesters said.“We first applied in 2017, which was cancelled after the govt changed. We applied again in 2021 and booked our flat by paying a deposit of Rs 1 lakh after taking loans. In 2022-23, the Amruta Mahotsava subsidy of Rs 5 lakh was introduced,” Nagaraja NK, an allottee, said. “We paid our hard-earned money and waited this long. Instead of addressing our housing needs, the govt is trying to impress bosses in Kerala and Delhi? Is this not injustice?” Senior citizen Manjula Devi and her husband, who fought cancer, were allotted a flat in Agrahara Palya near Hesaraghatta. “We were allotted the flat in Jan 2023 but got neither the keys nor registration. After paying over Rs 2 lakh, we are still living in a rented house,” she said.Surya Narayana, a person with disability, said he was made to run from pillar to post at the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) office. “I was told that the formation of GBA and the new corporations had affected the process. We need to approach different officials and find out when the list of beneficiaries will be sent to the housing corporation,” he said.RGHC managing director Parashuram Shinnalkar said the corporation is waiting for the final list of beneficiaries from GBA. “We wrote several letters to GBA requesting the list by the end of Dec. We will send another one today,” he said. Even as housing minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s press statement announced the “distribution of houses” to the displaced residents of Kogilu on Jan 2, Shinnalkar denied any knowledge of the details of eligible residents and the process of allotment.
