Bengaluru, Dec 31 (IANS) Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka on Tuesday alleged that the Congress-led government has set a bad precedent by deciding to construct houses for land encroachers, thereby encouraging the land mafia.
“Providing houses to encroachers could lead to the creation of mini Pakistan,” he warned.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said a solid waste management unit was planned at the site for Rs 100 crore.
He said Survey No. 99 comprises nine acres of rocky land that later became a stone quarry and was subsequently identified for waste disposal.
He claimed that while it was being said that residents who are Muslims had been living there for 20 years, Google Maps imagery from 2023 showed the area was waterlogged and vacant, with no habitation.
“Even 15 acres of land was completely vacant. Only in the last six months have people begun living there in temporary structures,” he said.
Ashoka said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had spoken about the eviction of encroachments on government land at Kogilu Cross.
He questioned under which scheme Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was proposing to allot houses and asked whether the land mafia was being encouraged.
He warned that this could lead to the creation of a “mini Pakistan” and growth of the drug mafia, and said the identity of the occupants must first be verified.
He alleged that a Congress leader named Wasim had collected Rs 4-5 lakh and constructed houses, terming it a Congress-sponsored illegal activity.
He criticised Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda for saying the encroachments would be cleared, while houses had been built on land meant for waste disposal.
“Land worth Rs 650 crore has been handed over to them,” he alleged.
He alleged that Muslims who had come from Bangladesh were living there and had obtained “fake” Aadhaar cards.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, citing humanitarian grounds, has decided to provide them houses under the Ashraya scheme,” he said.
Ashoka said due process under the Ashraya housing scheme had not been followed.
“In Bengaluru alone, encroachments have been cleared at 40 locations. If houses are to be built on humanitarian grounds everywhere, it amounts to encouraging encroachers,” he said.
“The Chief Minister himself has said they are migrants,” he added.
He said the state has 17.31 lakh people without residential sites and three lakh homeless persons.
“A total of 37.48 lakh people are waiting after applying for houses. There is no opportunity for local poor people, but the government says it will build houses for outsiders. I have never seen housing schemes approved at such speed in Karnataka’s history,” he said.
Ashoka further alleged that compensation was being given in Kerala in cases of death due to elephant attacks or floods, and questioned whether Karnataka had been mortgaged to the Kerala government.
He claimed that even spokespersons from Pakistan had commented on the issue, alleging atrocities against Muslims.
“The situation has deteriorated to that extent. There must be a high-level probe to determine whether these people are Kannadigas or foreigners. Until then, houses should not be allotted to them,” he demanded.
–IANS
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