From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 22: Notwithstanding the series of land scams pertaining to the present and previous rulers in the State, Kanataka Housing Board has already acquired or is in the process of acquiring 5,000 acres of in and around Bangalore for taking up massive housing layouts.

There was a huge demand for providing house sites in Bangalore and other parts of the State, said Karnataka’s Housing Minister V Somanna indicating that there was demand for providing one lakh housing sites from residents of Bangalore alone.

The KHB has already acquired 4,000 acres in Devanahalli, Yelahanka, Uttarahalli, Kengeri, Sarjapura, Hennur, K R Puram and Peenya. More lands would be acquired on the outskirts of the City, he said pointing out that more land was also being acquired.

Out of 14 lakh houseless families in the State, eight lakh have been residing in Bangalore, the minister said pointing out that the actual figure of the houseless figure may not be that high.

The KHB would conduct a fresh survey in June to assess the actual demand for houses in State. The last survey was conducted during the Congress rule of S M Krishna, who is now the Union External Affairs Minister.

“By June, we will get a clear picture (on the siteless families in the state),” he said.

The KHB would acquire lands in districts based on the demand for housing and sites, he said pointing out that the state government would hire a private firm to undertake a scientific survey for identifying siteless families.

The minister said the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation Ltd has till date built 16 lakh houses (for BPL families, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), adding that the government has decided to give ownership rights to the beneficiaries if they pay back Rs 10,000 availed as loans for their construction under ‘Ashraya’ scheme.

To provide ownership of Ashraya houses beneficiaries, the Department has requested the beneficiaries to pay pending dues to financial institutions. Interest on the principal would also be waived in such cases, he added.

At the same time, Somannna said majority of the houses built by the Corporation has collapsed making it clear that the Corporation neither had the infrastructure nor efficient staff.

He said 4,000 acres to 5,000 acres have been acquired or in the process of being acquired around Bangalore —— where there is a demand for one lakh sites —— including Kengeri, Thavarekere, Yelahanka, Devanahalli and Chikkaballapura.

Karnataka government recently said that 30,000 houses and sheds would be built for the people working in industrial areas specially for weaker sections of the labour community and staff, skilled workers, artisans and also 10,000 houses for the ‘weighmen’ and ‘hamalis’ working in agricultural markets.

This would be taken up in association with the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation.

A decision has been taken to merge all housing corporations – KHB, Slum Clearance Development Corporation, Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation – into one entity for expedite execution of projects, he said.

Work was progressing on 88,000 houses in several parts of the State. The total subsidy for each house is Rs. 63,000, and the Centre granted Rs. 33,000 subsidy for construction of one lakh houses a year, he said.