A survey of 165 families found many lacked complete documents; 158 had Aadhaar, 78 were Bengaluru residents, 92 had ration cards, complicating housing verification after demolitions
Bengaluru
The Karnataka government is facing difficulties in identifying eligible beneficiaries for free housing after the demolition of houses in Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony of Kogilu village, Yelahanka, last month. Officials say that while most evicted families have Aadhaar cards, these alone are insufficient to prove local residency or eligibility for government housing schemes.
A preliminary survey of 165 families showed that 158 possessed Aadhaar cards. Of these, only 78 families were confirmed as Bengaluru residents, and 92 had valid ration cards. Around 117 houses were demolished across the two colonies on December 20. Many families lacked additional supporting documents such as voter IDs, income certificates, or domicile proofs, making it difficult for officials to verify eligibility for free alternative housing.
“Getting an Aadhaar today is relatively easy. It cannot alone determine entitlement for government housing,” said a senior official involved in the survey. The state government has stated that only eligible evictees, not encroachers, will be rehabilitated under existing state and central housing schemes.
To ensure fairness, officials are using a multi-layered verification process. This includes checking ration card databases, cross-verifying with the food and civil supplies department, and conducting police verification in unclear cases. Data on language, place of origin, and duration of stay is also being collected to establish long-term residency in Bengaluru.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said, “We gave a clear mandate to the survey teams to identify genuine beneficiaries strictly according to government rules. Multiple departments—revenue, GBA, police, and housing—are involved. I am not interfering at the survey level, as any intervention could distort the process. The teams will report any difficulties to us.”
Officials emphasized that citizenship verification is the first step, followed by filtering for Karnataka residents and long-term Bengaluru dwellers. This thorough approach is aimed at ensuring that only rightful beneficiaries receive housing, while preventing misuse of government resources.
