From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 26: Interest component on the loans granted to poor under various housing schemes in Karnataka will be waived if the principal amount is cleared by end of March next year.
The State Cabinet at its meeting, chaired by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, decided to offer the interest waiver benefit to all beneficiaries who had occupied the houses allotted to them under the different housing schemes by the end of March this year.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who is also in charge of Urban Development Department, said as many as 22 lakh families, which had benefited from various housing schemes, would stand to get the interest waiver.
Total outstanding loan amount on various housing schemes was Rs 2590 crore, including Rs 1100 crore of interest component.
While lakhs of houses have been built and distributed to the poor, the ownership had not yet been transferred hindering the process of availing institutional finance to further upgrade such houses, officials said pointing out that the Government had decided to launch a scheme “Nanna Mane Nanna Swatthu,” under which ownership certificates would be given to the eligible beneficiaries.
The State Cabinet also decided to allot 100 acres of land near Thipsandra village in Ramanagara district to establish a Sanskrit University.
It also cleared a proposal to provide 1500 weavers with two powerlooms each and decided to sanction Rs 10 crore in the first phase. Fifty per cent grant would be provided to purchase powerlooms valued at Rs 1 lakh each.
Rs 250 cr International Convention Centre near BIAL
In yet another decision, the State Cabinet approved setting up of an international convention centre near the BIAL airport at a cost of Rs 250 crore on a 35 acre plot to promote the city as an attractive destination to host huge conferences and exhibitions.
The Centre would house a convention hall with a seating capacity for 6,000 and 20 small conference halls which would accommodate 50 to 200 people, besides a 20,000 square metre exhibition centre. It would be part-funded by the Government with the remaining funds to be mobilised by the state-owned Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
The minister said a similar Centre in Hyderabad was able to attract a lot of international conferences and exhibitions after such an international convention centre came up there, while one in Gujarat has also been completed.
The Cabinet also approved allotment of 103 acres through KIADB to BMM Ispat for setting up a steel plant in Hospet Taluk in Bellary district. A decision on fixing the rate for the land has been left to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
500 Buses to run on Bio-Diesel in Mysore
In another decision, the State Cabinet cleared a proposal for permitting operation of 500 government buses in Mysore this year on bio-diesal as part of an environment-friendly initiative.
The project will be supported by the Centrally-sponsored Sustainable Urban Transport project. The Centre would fund Rs 17.5 crore out of the Rs 19 crore project for Mysore. The project is to be implemented over an 18-month period.
Under the initiative, an intelligent transport system project would be also be taken up in Mysore involving 500 buses, which would give information in advance to commuters like departure and arrival times and the next bus stops.
The State Cabinet approved setting up of special training schools for drivers of heavy duty vehicles at Dharwad and at Singanayakana Halli on the outskirts of Bangalore at a cost of Rs.12 crore each to prevent accidents on national and state highways.
The schools would run on no-profit no-loss basis. While the construction would be done by the government agencies, administration and teaching would be done by private experts.