Kogilu demolition: Only 29 families may get houses

Only 29 families out of an initial estimate of 145, as pegged by the Housing Corporation during the last survey, will receive houses in the first phase of rehabilitation following the Kogilu demolition, which razed more than 160 houses in Fakir Colony and parts of Waseem Layout in Yelahanka on December 20. The limited number of beneficiaries and the lack of clarity regarding the criteria have prompted objections from displaced residents.

A senior official from the Housing Department told The Hindu that the list of 29 beneficiaries includes families who have been living in the area for nearly 17 years as well as others who moved in as recently as seven months ago.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the Housing Corporation added that all eligible poor families can apply for housing under the Ashraya Yojana, and that the Ashraya Committee takes a final call on allotments based on documents submitted, but many from Fakir Colony and surrounding areas have not applied under the scheme.

Displaced families question

Representatives of the displaced families, however, have questioned this, pointing out that satellite imagery from seven months prior showed only small water bodies in parts of the area now listed for rehabilitation. They argue that long-settled households should have been prioritised over more recent occupants.

Of the more than 165 families displaced, only 29 were called to Hajj Bhavan recently, where they met senior officials from the Housing and Minority Welfare Departments and submitted bank passbooks, domicile, income, and caste certificates, ration cards, Aadhaar, and voter ID cards. Several other displaced families said they possess the same documents but were neither surveyed properly nor called for verification, with no explanation for their exclusion.

NGO representatives and slum leaders have alleged irregularities in the selection process. According to them, at least nine of the 29 beneficiaries are closely linked to an intermediary, to whom they allegedly paid around ₹2 lakh each to secure houses in the area.  

Representatives have also submitted a list of what they say are eligible households to Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and have sought clarification from the Housing Corporation on the eligibility criteria. They maintain that many families excluded from the survey meet all documentary requirements and should have been considered.