Kogilu layout row: Encroachers get flats in weeks while eligible applicants wait for years
Bengaluru: Government housing schemes in Karnataka, meant to provide shelter to the homeless and economically weaker sections, have landed in the eye of a major controversy.
While thousands of eligible applicants have been waiting for years after legally applying for houses, people who illegally encroached on government land in the Kogilu layout are being rehabilitated and allotted flats within just two weeks, triggering widespread outrage.
According to sources, encroachers in the Kogilu area have been given special priority by the government. Shockingly, the authorities have not only fast-tracked their rehabilitation but have also facilitated loans and subsidies for them.
Flats with a market value of around ₹11.20 lakh are reportedly being allotted to these encroachers at heavily subsidised rates ranging between ₹1.75 lakh and ₹2.75 lakh.
This preferential treatment has angered thousands of genuine applicants who applied under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme after following all rules and procedures. Many applicants claim they are ready to pay the full cost of the flats but are still being denied housing for years without clear justification.
“We have applied legally, submitted all required documents and are even prepared to pay the entire ₹11.20 lakh. Yet, we are told to wait endlessly, while encroachers are rewarded,” said one frustrated applicant.
Official data paints a grim picture. Between September 2021 and March 2026, a total of 73,375 people applied for government housing. However, the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation rejected as many as 57,415 applications citing technical reasons.
Only 15,960 applicants were declared eligible. Critics allege that even applicants who paid the advance amount and furnished complete documentation were rejected on trivial grounds.
Opposition leaders and civil society groups have questioned the logic behind rewarding encroachment while sidelining law-abiding citizens. They argue that such policies encourage illegal occupation of government land and undermine public trust in welfare schemes.
The controversy has sparked sharp public criticism, with many questioning whether the government is penalising honesty and legality while extending benefits to those who violated the law. As the debate intensifies, calls are growing for transparency, accountability and a fair review of housing allotments to ensure justice for genuine beneficiaries.
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