Frustration boiled over in Bengaluru on Thursday as scores of long-waiting beneficiaries of a state housing scheme staged a protest in front of the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation (RGHC) office. The demonstration was triggered by the government's recent decision to allot flats on "humanitarian grounds" to residents displaced by a demolition drive in Kogilu, while original allottees continue to wait for possession after years of delay and financial investment.
Years of Wait and Financial Burden
The protesters, part of a group of 550 applicants shortlisted by the RGHC, voiced their anguish over being ignored despite fulfilling their financial commitments. Under the scheme, they had received a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh but were required to pay the remaining amount in instalments. Many have paid close to Rs 3 lakh but are yet to receive their homes, forcing them to bear the dual burden of loan EMIs and monthly rent.
"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 one of the aggrieved protesters at Mysore Bank Circle.
Personal Stories of Hardship and Bureaucratic Hurdles
Nagaraja NK, an allottee, detailed a tortuous journey that began in 2017. His first application was cancelled after a change in government. He applied again in 2021, booking a flat by paying a Rs 1 lakh deposit taken as a loan. The Amruta Mahotsava subsidy of Rs 5 lakh was introduced in 2022-23. "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?" he questioned.
The protest highlighted several heart-wrenching cases. Senior citizen Manjula Devi and her husband, a cancer survivor, were allotted a flat in Agrahara Palya near Hesaraghatta in January 2023. "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 lamented.
Surya Narayana, a person with disability, shared his ordeal of being 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 explained.
Official Response and Contradictory Announcements
RGHC managing director Parashuram Shinnalkar stated that the corporation is awaiting the final list of beneficiaries from the GBA. "We wrote several letters to GBA requesting the list by the end of Dec. We will send another one today," he said. This administrative delay stands in stark contrast to the proactive announcement made by Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan regarding the "distribution of houses" to displaced Kogilu residents on January 2.
Interestingly, Shinnalkar denied having any knowledge of the details of eligible residents or the allotment process for the Kogilu rehabilitation, pointing to a potential communication gap within the government machinery. This discrepancy has further fueled the anger of the protesting allottees, who see it as evidence of misplaced priorities.
The protest underscores a critical failure in the execution of public housing schemes in Bengaluru, where genuine beneficiaries are caught in bureaucratic limbo while the government makes swift decisions for other groups, creating a sense of injustice and neglect among citizens who followed the official process.
