The government plans to build 3.7 lakh houses for the poor in the state this year, Housing Minister M H Ambareesh has said.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with officials, he said the department has built 3,17,485 houses as against the target of 3 lakh houses till March 31, 2014. Already, 2.2 lakh beneficiaries have been identified and the process of house allotment would begin soon, he said.
The Union government has sanctioned 26 housing proposals costing `1,350 crore under the Rajiv Awaas Yojana. The Centre would bear 70 per cent of the total cost and the state government the rest. As many as 26,845 houses would be constructed under this scheme, he said.
The minister said two tenders for construction of houses in Tumkur and Bangalore were finalised before the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha elections came into force. Another 26 tenders would be finalised on May 18. The project period would be 10 to 12 months from the date of finalising the tender. These houses are meant to be distributed for slum dwellers. Another 23 housing projects are also pending before the Union government, he explained.
Ambareesh said Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) would form 6,000 sites at Suryanagar 4th Stage near Bangalore. Besides this, layouts would be formed at three places near Mysore. Payment of `38 lakh per acre of land has been made to land owners through cheque. An ambitious plan has been drawn up to create a satellite town on 800 acres at Tubinakere near Mandya on Bangalore-Mysore Highway, he said.
He said getting land for house construction and formation of new layouts have become difficult due to heavy demand for land. Though KHB will have to hike rates, the cost of houses sold by the board is cheaper than those built by private developers, he said.
According to a survey, there are 12 lakh people without houses in the State and the department is ready to provide houses to all of them in the next four years. The government’s endeavour is to make Karnataka slum-free, but it requires support from other departments to check the mushrooming of new slums, he said.
Rs 50:50 Chances of Winning in Mandya’
Ambareesh said Congress has a fifty-fifty chance to win in Mandya Lok Sabha constituency where actor Ramya is contesting. He said the margin of votes would have been more if everyone had put in full effort.