Karnataka Government Backtracks on Promise to Rehabilitate Yelahanka Evictees

Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka has backtracked on its promise to rehabilitate families rendered homeless by the bulldozer drive in Kogilu, Yelahanka. The Siddaramaiah government has now taken the position that only those who have been residing in the area for five years or more will be provided housing, effectively abandoning many affected families.

Earlier, following strong protests by the CPI(M) and sharp criticism from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Karnataka government had assured that all evicted families would be rehabilitated. The current stance marks a clear retreat from that assurance.

Around 200 families, who were living there with all necessary documents, were evicted by the Congress government in a midnight operation on December 5. CPI(M) and DYFI activists launched protests immediately thereafter. A team of delegates, led by DYFI All India President A A Rahim, MP, visited the site and exposed what they described as the government’s cruelty. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s question on X—whether a “Yogi-style bulldozer rule” was being implemented—drew national attention to the incident. With the issue becoming controversial in Kerala as well, the Karnataka government announced rehabilitation in an apparent attempt to deflect criticism.

The government had declared that the families would be shifted to flats in Baiyappanahalli starting January 1. However, no concrete decision has been taken regarding assistance to even a single family. A survey to identify eligible beneficiaries has not yet been completed, and many long-term residents remain excluded from the rehabilitation list.

Hundreds of families continue to live amid building debris, without even temporary shelter. The government has failed to provide basic facilities such as toilets, forcing women, children, and the elderly to survive in unhygienic and unsafe conditions.

In protest against the failure to rehabilitate the displaced families, the CPI(M) organised a public meeting recently.

A public gathering was held under CPI(M) leadership at Fakir Colony, Kogilu, protesting the government’s inaction. Displaced families from Fakir Colony and Wasim Street participated in the meeting, which was held at the premises of the Urdu UP School near Fakir Colony. CPI(M) Bengaluru North District Secretariat member Hulli Umesh and Gooramma, a leader of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), addressed the gathering.