Housing scheme for poor

Karnataka on Tuesday announced a housing scheme for families living below the poverty line (BPL) and also for slum dwellers in the state.

On the occasion of the Independence Day celebrations here, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said that about 50,000 houses for BPL families and another 30,000 for slum dwellers will be built under a new housing scheme in urban and rural areas.

"The housing scheme will cover the poor, including marginal farmers as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the formation of the state, beginning November 1 this year. The beneficiaries of the housing scheme will be identified soon through various agencies," he stated.

He also announced the 'Suvarna Gramodaya' programme aimed at realising the vision of President A P J Abdul Kalam for providing better facilities in villages.

"We will spend Rs 1,000 crore every year to provide urban amenities in rural areas (PURA) as recommended by the President. About 1,000 villages will be selected for the purpose. The funds will be used for their all-round development, including agricultural, industrial and educational sectors," he noted.

The celebrations were held amidst tight security following terror threat. Security personnel, including Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force and BSF contingents were deployed at various defence installations and R&D institutes in the city.