Bengaluru, Jan 8 (NationPress) The government of Karnataka is preparing to assist individuals whose homes were removed due to encroachment on state land. The state intends to provide housing to these individuals, which has sparked considerable controversy and strong opposition from the BJP in Bengaluru.

In the initial phase, the government aims to allocate homes to 26 individuals from the total of 167 families whose residences were demolished previously near Kogilu Layout in the city.

This decision is expected to incite significant debate, having already received harsh criticism from the BJP regarding the Congress-led administration.

Housing and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan addressed the media in Bengaluru on Thursday, confirming that the document verification process has been finalized.

“I was informed that the verification of documents has been completed. I received a call from Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda about this yesterday. The authorities may grant housing to those 26 individuals today,” he stated.

“The document verification for these 26 individuals has been approved. It is common knowledge that the authorities are reviewing the documents closely. Out of a total of 260 houses, 161 were demolished. We have received additional applications, and it is not feasible to accommodate everyone who applied. It has been determined that those whose homes were demolished will receive housing assistance, following the Chief Minister's directives,” Zameer added.

He further mentioned that beneficiaries must be local residents and citizens of Karnataka. “We will not offer housing to individuals from outside the state under any circumstances. To qualify for housing, they must have been residing in Bengaluru for at least five years. This is the reason for the delay,” he explained.

According to sources, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has finalized the beneficiary list and compiled information regarding their mother tongue and background to counter BJP accusations that Bangladeshi nationals are being granted housing as part of the Congress-led government's appeasement politics.

The list indicates that the beneficiaries consist of 108 Kannada speakers, 103 Urdu speakers, 13 Tamil speakers, 11 Hindi speakers, and three Marathi speakers. A few Telugu-speaking families are also included.

Karnataka BJP chief and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra alleged on Monday that the government is conspiring to transform the state into another Bangladesh.

During a protest held near the Country Club on Bagalur Main Road under the slogan “Save Kogilu, remove illegal migrants,” Vijayendra condemned the government's initiative to provide housing to alleged illegal migrants, labeling it an unpardonable offense. He stated that the BJP vehemently opposes this and will initiate statewide protests.

He claimed that while the government demolished homes, the moment AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal issued threats, Siddaramaiah, fearing for his chief ministerial position, decided to allocate houses to illegal migrants.