BENGALURU: The state cabinet would soon be holding discussions on how to go about implementing the budget announcement of providing housing for one lakh people living below the poverty line (BPL) in Bengaluru. Housing Minister M Krishnappa said that parcels of land totalling 662 acres reclaimed on the outskirts of the city would be handed over to the Housing Department soon. He added that discussions would follow the transfer of land.
“We have to decide whether to go into a joint venture or use our own funds. The Centre had recently announced a scheme for housing as well. We are looking at whether we should be providing subsidies, cross subsidies, beneficiary contributions or implement our own scheme or that of the centre,” he said. The houses will measure 300 square feet each and will have a single bedroom. Krishnappa said they were talking to banks to see if they could provide long term housing loans (20 years) with Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) of `2,000 per month.
The beneficiaries will be BPL families mostly vegetable vendors, auto rickshaw drivers, domestic servants living in rented homes, with the exception of slum dwellers. Applicants will have to provide their Aadhaar numbers and all eligible persons would be selected through a lottery system. There will be a discretionary quota ostensibly for handicapped applicants and such. Applicants will also need to have their domicile in the city for at least five years. Krishnappa added they would require around 1,000 acres to construct one lakh homes.