Kogilu Demolition: Only 90 Families Likely To Qualify For Rehabilitation, Says Karnataka Minister

Last Updated:January 02, 2026, 09:37 IST

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said surveys show only around 90 families meet the eligibility criteria, rejecting claims that nearly 400 would receive housing.

The demolition drive, carried out in the early hours of December 20, flattened over 200 houses in Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Kogilu village near Yelahanka. (News18)

The Karnataka government’s promise of rehabilitating families displaced in the Kogilu demolition drive has narrowed sharply as document verification continues, with officials now saying that only around 90 families are likely to qualify for alternative housing after a thorough vetting of documents.

What was initially projected as relief for hundreds of families evicted from Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in north Bengaluru has now turned into a much tighter eligibility exercise.

Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh told the media that government surveys indicate that, as of now, only 90 families may be eligible for compensatory housing under existing schemes, and that claims that nearly 400 families would be accommodated are incorrect.

“Only those who are local residents and meet eligibility norms will be given houses. As of now, around 90 families qualify," Suresh said, adding that verification was still underway.

According to officials, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), revenue officials as well as corporation officials are cross-checking documents submitted by evicted residents against land records and government databases to prepare a final list of beneficiaries. The proposed rehabilitation flats are located in Baiyappanahalli, about seven kilometres from Kogilu.

Suresh said the surveys were conducted jointly by the Urban Development and Social Welfare Departments to assess eligibility under the state’s One Lakh Housing Scheme. “Whoever qualifies under the scheme will be accommodated. Others cannot be included," he said.

The clarification comes days after the government announced alternative accommodation for “genuine" homeless residents following the demolition of illegally built sheds in Kogilu on 20 December.

Officials had earlier said that 167 sheds were cleared during the drive, which was carried out on land earmarked for a solid waste management facility at an abandoned quarry site. Satellite images accessed by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), which had custody of the land, showed a sharp rise in habitations at the site after 2021.

Even as the Congress-led government insists it is offering a lawful and structured rehabilitation package, the payment clause has emerged as the most contentious issue.

Displaced families have been told they must contribute between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh to receive rehabilitation flats, a condition many say is unaffordable.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the model, explaining that more than 1,087 government-built houses are available in Baiyappanahalli. Each unit costs around Rs 11.20 lakh, he said.

“On humanitarian grounds, we are making this exception and providing alternative housing for those who are eligible and have been displaced. General category beneficiaries will receive subsidies of up to Rs 8.70 lakh, and SC/ST families up to Rs 9.50 lakh. The remaining amount will be provided through a small, verified loan," Siddaramaiah said after holding a detailed meeting with his ministers and stakeholders.

Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan has been tasked with completing verification and overseeing allotment. “Though the sheds were illegal, alternative housing is being provided purely on humanitarian grounds," Siddaramaiah said.

The Kogilu demolition drive earlier sparked an inter-state political row after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan likened the action to “bulldozer justice", arguing that most of those affected were Muslims. With elections approaching in Kerala, the optics prompted the Karnataka government to announce rehabilitation for eligible residents.

The BJP, however, accused the Congress of minority appeasement and warned that rewarding encroachers would set a dangerous precedent.

The Opposition BJP has warned of protests in Bengaluru on 5 January if what it calls an “illegal allotment" of houses goes ahead.

Yelahanka BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath alleged irregularities in the rehabilitation process, claiming that several applicants who had deposited Rs 1 lakh years ago were still waiting for houses under government schemes, while recently displaced families were being prioritised.

“Beneficiaries under the Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana must have an annual income below Rs 3 lakh, have lived in Bengaluru for at least five years, and possess a domicile certificate. None of this applies to Fakir Colony residents," Vishwanath claimed.

He alleged that applicants who applied six years ago were still waiting, while new beneficiaries were being fast-tracked. The BJP, he said, would challenge the allotment in court and raise the issue with the Governor.

Adding to the criticism, Yeshwanthpur MLA S.T. Somashekar questioned why Kogilu residents were being asked to pay Rs 2.5 lakh for rehabilitation flats when beneficiaries elsewhere pay Rs 10.5 lakh. He alleged that concessions — partly funded by the civic body and the Minority Welfare Board — were irregular.

“For Kogilu evacuees, the BBMP will bear Rs 5 lakh, the Minority Welfare Department Rs 2.5 lakh, and beneficiaries only Rs 2.5 lakh. If this becomes the norm, why should anyone else pay the full Rs 10.5 lakh under the housing scheme?" the BJP’s Vishwanath asked.

Following a visit to Kogilu Layout near Yelahanka, the Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader R. Ashoka trained his guns on the Congress government, accusing it of turning a blind eye to large-scale encroachments and the rapid emergence of illegal settlements.

Ashoka has repeatedly accused the Congress of attempting to convert Karnataka into a “mini Pakistan" through minority appeasement.

Questioning the speed at which basic amenities were provided, Ashoka asked how electricity connections were sanctioned so swiftly, alleging that the Siddaramaiah government had actively facilitated the growth of unauthorised colonies. “After misleading Kannadigas for years, the Congress is now creating a mini Bangladesh in Karnataka," he alleged.

Ashoka also pointed to satellite imagery and Google Maps data, claiming the area showed no residential structures as recently as a year ago — an indication, he said, that the settlement had mushroomed only in recent months.

The Congress dismissed the charge as politically motivated. Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the party had never used illegal immigrants for electoral gain. “There is no question of that. The Congress has never indulged in such practices and never will," he said earlier.

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