BENGALURU: Confusion between the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited (RGHCL) has left 548 families stranded, despite fully constructed homes awaiting allocation under the chief minister’s Rs 1-lakh multi-storey housing scheme.
Nearly 500 beneficiaries who arrived at the RGHCL office on KG Road on Monday to collect possession documents and keys were turned away, as officials stated that the final list of allottees had not yet been provided by GBA. With no update on the resolution, the beneficiaries held a silent protest outside the office.
Parashuram Shinnalkar, managing director of RGHCL, stated that the corporation is still awaiting the final allottee list from GBA. “The houses across 22 locations are ready for handover as soon as we receive the list from GBA,” he noted.
Following the protest, HT Muralidhara, GBA’s assistant commissioner (welfare), met with the applicants and assured them that the final list would be compiled by January 31.
He explained that the delay was due to the BBMP releasing Rs 27.5 crore to RGHCL for 550 beneficiaries, which resulted in an equal number of virtual accounts receiving funds, misleading applicants into thinking they had been selected. He clarified that a final list could be established only after mahazars and approvals from the local selection committee.
“Post the formation of GBA, the chief commissioner directed commissioners from five city corporations to conduct mahazars for all 550 beneficiaries,” he added.
However, beneficiaries contested this explanation, asserting that the mahazars had been completed nearly 10 months ago.
Mohan Rao, a Bovipalya resident, expressed frustration, stating, “It has been four years since we deposited Rs 1 lakh, and we are still accumulating interest. I applied for this scheme during Siddaramaiah’s first term as chief minister.”
Another applicant, Manjula Devi, voiced her concerns about the constant back-and-forth between offices. “We have approached GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao at least ten times. In the meantime, we are paying both rent and interest on borrowed funds,” she said.
Out of 550 applicants, only two have received houses
Of the 550 applicants, just two have been handed possession, with the remaining 548 still in limbo. During the protest, applicants alleged that the two who received houses had done so after paying bribes, a claim Muralidhara dismissed.
“Only two applicants’ mahazars were completed and approved. They received their houses with the administrator’s approval. Since my appointment, I have been addressing the pending applications,” he said.
