K’taka govt set to distribute houses to encroachers whose homes were demolished; BJP cries foul

January 8, 2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is preparing to rehabilitate people whose houses were demolished due to encroachment on government land. This decision is fueling controversy in Bengaluru, and the BJP has launched a sharp protest against the Congress government.

In the first phase, the government plans to provide homes to 26 of the 167 families whose houses were previously demolished near the city’s Kogilu Layout. This decision is expected to further intensify the political debate.

Document Verification Complete, Allotment May Be Soon

Housing and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan told the media on Thursday that the verification of beneficiaries’ documents has been completed.
He said, “I’ve been informed that the verification of documents for 26 people has been completed. I also received a call from Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda regarding this. It’s possible that these people will be allotted houses today.”

He explained that 161 of the 260 houses were demolished. However, due to the large number of applications, it’s not possible to provide houses to everyone. “As per the Chief Minister’s instructions, it has been decided to provide housing only to those whose houses were demolished,” he said.

Eligibility Criteria and Beneficiary Details

The Minister clarified that beneficiaries must be local residents and residents of Karnataka. “Under no circumstances will houses be given to people from outside the state. To be eligible, it’s mandatory to have lived in Bengaluru for at least five years. This is the reason for the delay,” he said.

According to sources, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has finalized the list of beneficiaries, including details of their mother tongue and background, to counter the BJP’s allegations that housing was being provided to Bangladeshi nationals. According to the list, the beneficiaries include 108 Kannada-speaking families, 103 Urdu-speaking families, 13 Tamil, 11 Hindi-speaking families, three Marathi-speaking families, and a few Telugu-speaking families.

BJP protests, threatens statewide agitation

Karnataka BJP president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that the government was trying to turn the state into “another Bangladesh.” At a protest organized under the slogan “Save Kogilu, remove illegal immigrants,” he called it an “unpardonable crime” and announced that the BJP would launch a statewide agitation against it.

He claimed that after the demolition, the government decided to give houses to alleged “illegal immigrants” under political pressure, although the Congress government has denied these allegations.