From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Nov 21: A beleaguered chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is struggling to save his chair caught as he is in a series of land scams and charges of favouritism, nepotism and other irregularities, took time off to initiate the process of distributing the house sites and flats constructed in the Karnataka Housing Board’s Suryanagar Layout second phase through lottery in Bangalore on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering at the Taralabalu Samudaya Bhavan in R T Nagar in Bangalore, he explained the various measures and programmes implemented by his government during the last 30 months for improving the lot of women and girls and urged the people to ensure that all sections of women and girls got the benefit of education.
The first lottery winners were handed over the record of rights (Hakku Patras) by the chief minister.
The state and the country can progress and march ahead only if all women and girls are well looked after, he said and explained that the government had covered over 11.5 lakh girls born in poor families under its flagship Bhagyalakshmi scheme.
The mothers and family members of the beneficiary girls are also extended a wide range of facilities, he said adding that the government has been distributing sarees to the mothers of the beneficiary girls in all districts since October 27.
Taking care not to speak on the political turmoil affecting the future of his regime, the chief minister promised to carry the government’s developmental programmes and pro-poor welfare schemes in a ''very transparent manner” over the next two and half years.
The government has achieved remarkable progress in almost all aspects and has earned the second place in implementing the 20-point economic programme among all states in the country, he said urging officials to hold constant dialogue with representatives of the local people every week in all districts.
Though the government had done its best, he said the housing sector needed improvements and the landless and houseless poor and farmers must be provided housing facilities. The housing needs of the urban poor in cities like Bangalore and other places must also be addressed on a war-footing, he said explaining the various initiatives taken by his government for improving the infrastructure facilities in Bangalore.
The chief minister regretted the delay in providing permanent shelter and rehabilitation of the thousands of people affected by the worst-ever floods in north Karnataka last year and said the implementation of Asare housing scheme was being expedited.
Housing, IT/BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu explained the various facilities and amenities provided in the Suryanagar Layout by the Karnataka Housing Board and said it would be one of the well-developed and highly planned residential layout in the city. A total of 8,733 house sites to various groups of people and 272 houses were being provided in the layout. The land-owners, who parted with their land for the formation of the land would be provided with 30x40 ft house sites along with monetary compensation.
While the economically weaker sections and backward classes would be provided with 20x30 ft house sites at highly subsidised rates, Naidu said the government has made provision for supplying drinking water from the Shimsha river. Rain water harvesting and modern waste effluent treatment plants besides landscaped roads and parks were the other special features of the Suryanagar housing layout, he said.
Karnataka Housing Board Chairman G T Deve Gowda and KHB Commissioner M B Dyaberi were among the dignitaries present at the function.