A long-pending housing project by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) aimed at providing free plots for 1,110 families from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) backgrounds has been mired in delays for over 16 years. Despite a decision in 2008 to allocate land for these families, the project is still awaiting the final administrative approval for the release of funds, leaving many workers in limbo.
The initiative, part of the BBMP’s Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), was designed to provide housing plots to SC/ST workers employed by BBMP, including sanitation workers, by distributing free plots in newly developed areas of Bengaluru. The Karnataka Revenue Department identified and allocated a total of 29 acres of land across three survey numbers in Bengaluru North and South Taluks, with the land officially transferred to the BBMP in 2015.
Beneficiaries were to be selected at the zonal level, with 494 families in the South Zone, 206 in the West Zone, and 410 in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Zone identified to receive the land. However, despite the land allocation and the selection of beneficiaries, the project has been held up for years due to a lack of funds and the delay in securing administrative approval.
In an attempt to get the project back on track, Yelahanka and RR Nagar zonal commissioners have submitted an estimated budget of ₹42.28 crore for the construction of model housing colonies. These colonies were planned to include essential infrastructure, including water supply, sanitation, and roads. However, the BBMP Special Commissioner for Welfare has forwarded the proposal to the BBMP administrator, S.R. Umashankar, requesting approval to allocate funds from the SCP and TSP budgets for the project.
Despite repeated efforts by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to expedite the process and appeal to the BBMP Chief Commissioner, the implementation of the project remains stalled. Activists have expressed frustration at the prolonged delay, pointing out that many families, including sanitation workers, have been waiting for years to receive the plots promised to them.
S. Gangadhar, coordinator of Bahujan Vimocchana Chalavali for Bengaluru Urban District, expressed his dissatisfaction with the ongoing delay. “These families, many of whom have worked with BBMP for years, have been waiting for their plots since 2008. It is shameful that the government has failed to deliver on this promise,” Gangadhar said, urging the authorities to take immediate steps to implement the project.
Gangadhar also emphasised the social and economic significance of this housing initiative for the SC/ST communities. Providing stable housing to these workers would not only uplift their living conditions but also provide them with a sense of security and dignity, he added.
The delay in the project has taken on a political dimension, with activists and leaders pressing for urgent action. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar recently instructed that urgent steps be taken to push the project forward, following multiple appeals from community leaders. He has repeatedly urged the BBMP administration to clear the remaining procedural hurdles and release the necessary funds from the SCP and TSP budgets.
BBMP administrator S.R. Umashankar has, however, assured that approval will be granted soon, with the funds expected to be released after the by-elections. His assurance, though welcomed by many, has done little to allay concerns among the affected families who have been waiting for more than a decade for the promised housing.
The project, which began with great promise, now stands as a symbol of the struggle for social justice within Bengaluru’s urban landscape. The delay in implementing the housing plan has sparked renewed calls for greater accountability from the BBMP and the state government.
While there is optimism that approval and funds will be released in the near future, the fact remains that 1,110 families continue to wait for a basic human right — a place to call home. It remains to be seen if the promises made will be fulfilled or if yet another year will pass before these families see the homes they were promised more than a decade ago.