The situation for residents of KHB Colony has become dire, akin to the saying "one person's mistake leads to punishment for others." Residents are facing significant hardships due to the administrative mismanagement by officials.
In the Amaragol Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) layout, over a thousand families have constructed homes, but they are unable to obtain e-ownership titles. The government's mandating of e-titles has exacerbated the situation for these residents, as they are now unable to engage in land transactions—buying, selling, or even acquiring bank loans for construction is virtually impossible. The administrative blunders by KHB officials have led to a cascade of difficulties.
The KHB developed a residential layout covering 109.22 acres, comprising 274 houses and 1,144 plots between 2021-23. Had this layout been handed over to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation in a timely manner, residents would not be facing such issues now. Furthermore, KHB’s financial obligations of several crores to the municipal corporation could have been avoided. Despite the layout being constructed over 15 years ago, it has reportedly been neglected in terms of maintenance.
KHB has been collecting fees for the development and maintenance of the layout from plot owners and homeowners. Yet, the promised development remains elusive; roads, drainage systems, and streetlights are in disrepair, and there are ongoing water supply issues. The municipality has suggested either handover of a well-maintained layout or the disbursement of development funds.
Residents have raised suspicions about the expenditure of crores of rupees over the past decade for maintenance, with Lakshmibai mentioning, “We are contemplating filing a complaint with the Lokayukta for a thorough investigation against the officials.”
