From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 27: Apart from concentrating on improving the urban infrastructure facilities in Bengaluru, including constructing storm water drains and taking up road improvement works all over the city and also launching the Indira Canteens to supply breakfast, lunch and dinner to feed the hungry people at a nominal price of Rs 5 per plate, the Siddaramaiah regime is now taking up a mega project for constructing one lakh houses for the urban poor in the city.

The proposal to build one lakh houses was approved at the State Cabinet meeting held in Bengaluru on Wednesday to help provide homes for the weaker sections on government lands which were cleared of encroachments in recent years.

Multi-storied housing complexes would be built on encroachment-evicted lands. 

Already 468 acres has been identified for the purpose, Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

Rs 6000 crore outlay

The beneficiaries would have to pay Rs 1 lakh as their contribution for owning the house, while government would bear the remaining cost.

The project estimated to cost Rs 6000 crore would be implemented through Karnataka Housing Board, Karnataka Slum Development Board and Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation, the minister said.

The houses to be constructed under the modern pre-fabrication technology would be ready within 6 months.

It is obvious that the Siddaramaiah regime is out to woo the citizens of Bengaluru ahead of next year’s assembly elections in the State as Bengaluru alone accounts for 28 out of the 224 assembly constituencies.

He said Bengaluru would get a Centre of Excellence in Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence to be set up by State government in association with Union government and NASSCOM.

The State Cabinet has cleared the proposal which would give boost for development of emerging technologies and enhancing the skills of IT work force, Jayachandra said.