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After aggregate surveys proved futile and attempts by families to found their individuality yielded no progress, residents whose houses were demolished successful parts of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Kogilu Layout, Yelahanka, successful December person decided to attack a retired justice and taxable their documents for an autarkic reappraisal of their claims, arsenic galore proceed to stay without structure much than 5 months later.
The houses were razed by authorities authorities, who claimed that the families had encroached connected authorities land. The demolition resulted successful adjacent to 160 houses being demolished.
However, pursuing disapproval from CPI(M) person and erstwhile Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the State authorities intervened. Ministers, including Housing and Minority Welfare Minister, B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan had assured that eligible families would beryllium allotted houses in Byappanahalli in January. However, even arsenic of March, lone 29 families had been provided houses.
Speaking to The Hindu, the families and the NGO moving with them said they remain stuck due to the fact that 1 conception claims that everyone had lived determination for much than 20 years, portion different claims that cipher had lived determination for little than 5 years. They contend that neither assertion reflects the reality, arsenic implicit 20 families were surviving determination for much than 15 years, portion galore came successful and settled successful between.
Members of the Fakir community, NGO representatives said, person been surviving determination for galore years, portion respective different families claimed the aforesaid had not. The NGOs point to surveys done by them for families of fakirs spanning years, which record their presence.
While outer images amusement a tiny pond successful the area in pictures generated 5 years back, galore families still maintain that they had been residing there for implicit 20 years.
Residents said the disorder stemmed mostly from the engagement of caste leaders, one representing Dalits and different representing Muslims, who initially claimed they could unafraid houses for the families, allegedly collected ₹2 lakh from each family, and aboriginal instructed them to support that they had been surviving determination for galore years.
Families who mislaid their homes said they are uneducated and followed the proposal of their caste leaders arsenic they trusted them. “Many documents were mislaid during the demolition. We submitted whatever documents remained during the Housing Department survey, hoping that houses would beryllium allotted to us. It has been much than 5 months, but determination is inactive nary clarity connected erstwhile we volition person them,” a nonmigratory said. Families besides said they person decided not to determination elsewhere nether immoderate circumstances, fearing that adjacent the tents they presently inhabit whitethorn beryllium removed.
The families are being asked to furnish as galore arsenic six documents by assorted departments progressive successful the lodging allotment process, The Hindu has learnt. These see income certificates, elector IDs, ration cards, slope details, and different supporting records. A wide documentation thrust has besides been started recently, nether which NGOs and activists are helping families get and verify documents. Once this process is completed, the families program to attack a retired justice and contiguous the documents successful an effort to substantiate their claims.
