From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 1: Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa has promised to consider grant of Rs 10,194 crore required to complete construction of the 9.74 lac houses under progress in the state.

Addressing a meeting to review the functioning of the State Housing Department in Bengaluru on Monday, the CM lauded the Department for achieving a saving of Rs 8,000 crore by identifying the allottees who had obtained houses by furnishing bogus documents.

Yediyurappa asked the officials to ensure transparency in the allotment process and prevent misuse of financial grants by making good use of the Vigil App.

Under the Kodagu Rehabilitation Scheme, he asked the officials to complete the allotment of the 405 houses constructed to the beneficiaries. The chief minister was informed that 115 houses have already been allotted.

Housing minister V Somanna informed that 1.24 lac of houses sites had been identified for distribution to poorer sections of society in rural areas. The Department required Rs 1,000 crore for developing and distributing the house sites to the beneficiaries, he said.

Somanna suggested a merger of the Karnataka Slum Development Board with the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation so as to systematically solve the problems of the slum dwellers as a large number of slum dwellers in urban areas had to be issued a record of rights or 'hakku patras' under the Pradhana Mantri Avas (Urban) Yojane.

The Karnataka Housing Board is developing the Konasandra, Bommandahalli, Kadujakkanahalli villages of Jigani Hobli and Inglavadi, Bagganadoddi villages of Kasaba Hobli of Anekar taluk under the Pradhana Mantri Housing Scheme at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore, he said.

Somanna said the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) had received over 4,000 petitions of which nearly 700 have already been disposed of. He sought the CM's clearance for appointment of additional staff for disposal of the pending petitions.

Home minister Basavaraj Bommai, chief secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, Finance Department principal secretary ISN Prasad, Housing Department secretary Manoj Kumar Meena, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation managing director and other officials attended the review meeting.

Later, D P Nagendra Kumar, GST chief commissioner, and M Srinivas, Customs chief commissioner of Bengaluru Zone paid a courtesy call to chief minister B S Yediyurappa.