Opposition exposes Kogilu Layout irregularities, questions state government’s actions
Bengaluru: The Kogilu Layout controversy has taken a sharp turn, with opposition leader R. Ashok presenting satellite imagery and official documents to question the state government’s rehabilitation plans.
According to Ashok, Survey No. 99 in Kogilu village covers 14 acres and 38 gunthas, of which 5 acres were allotted to the BBMP. The remaining 9 acres and 38 gunthas were reportedly earmarked for a Rs. 100 crore sanitary burning point project. However, Ashok claimed that locals’ assertions of having resided there for the past 20 years were false.
Satellite images and Google Maps from 2023 indicate that the area was vacant and largely barren at that time, with only soil and rubble present. The construction of houses appears to have begun illegally in the last six months.
During a press conference, Ashok highlighted that Kogilu Layout has now attracted national and international attention, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and local MPs reportedly visiting the site.
He said that previously, private parties had leased the land, which was later converted into a quarry and then used for a solid waste project. He pointed out that the land is state-owned and that political leaders like Minister Jameer Ahmed Khan and his special officer Sarfaraz Khan were involved in supervising developments on the site.
Ashok also alleged that Congress leader Wasim collected approximately Rs. 4 lakh from each individual to facilitate illegal housing constructions, describing the move as a party-sponsored irregularity.
He urged strict action, citing statements by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda that all illegal encroachments across the state would be removed, yet pointing out that illegal housing has been allowed on the government’s waste disposal site.
Further, Ashok released 2023 satellite photographs showing the area as empty, countering claims by some that the residents had lived there for two decades.
He also referenced official communications, including letters from the Tahsildar to the BBMP Joint Commissioner on September 12, 2025, and from the Tahsildar to the Assistant Director of Revenue Records on May 28, 2024, questioning whether government-sanctioned resettlement projects were being carried out at the site.
The opposition has called for a thorough investigation into the Kogilu Layout developments, stressing that illegal constructions should not be legitimized and that the rights of genuine beneficiaries must be protected. Ashok warned that continuing irregularities could undermine public trust in governance and the equitable distribution of state resources.
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