BENGALURU: The state government will acquire 2,000 acres of land to curve out 30,000 sites for the public, of which, one-third, or 10,000 sites, will be marked for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under the new ‘Namma Nele’ scheme.
Announcing this in the budget, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said ownership certificates have already been provided to 1.14 lakh families staying in slum areas. The government will hand over land ownership certificates to all the 3.36 lakh families by the end of the year.
“Thirty-eight projects of the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) had been pending for 5 years due to disputes. By changing the guidelines and overcoming hurdles, 48,000 sites in 3,382 acres have been distributed. In the current year, six housing projects have been completed by the KHB and 6,142 sites have been developed under these projects,” said Bommai.
However, activists working on housing projects in slums have dismissed the claims made by Bommai.
“The government completed only about 32,000 houses in Bengaluru, but there are no takers. Hardly 4,000 people moved in. Rates fixed by the housing department and the houses are not attractive and people feel it is not worth it.
Besides, under the Namma Nele scheme, the government says it will acquire 2,000 acres and give 10,000 sites for EWS, but where is the land? The slum housing project in Marathahalli, Jai Bhuvaneshwari Nagar and other areas is yet to be completed. The CM is just shooting in the air,” said Issac Amruthraj, state convenor, Slum Janara Sanghathane.
RAIN DAMAGE
Rs 5L compensation for houses damaged in rain
Rs 2,627 crore released for reconstruction of 3,01,884 houses in last 4 years