PMAS housing initiative

Bengaluru: Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed has reported that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the submission of grant-related proposals for the completion of 52,189 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas (Urban) scheme by the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation. The directive was given during a progress review meeting of the Housing Department at Home Office Krishna. The completion of these houses is vital for providing shelter to poor families across the state.

During the meeting, Minister Zameer Ahmed highlighted the urgency conveyed by the Chief Minister to submit a proposal to the Cabinet, addressing the financial requirements necessary to complete the construction work in phases. A sum of Rs. 2013 crore had been allocated for the project, with Rs. 134 crore remaining due to non-payment, leading to the need for additional funding.

Minister Zameer Ahmed expressed the difficulty faced by poor beneficiaries in paying the remaining amount, emphasizing the necessity for government intervention to ensure the completion of the project. He proposed presenting the grant proposal to the cabinet to facilitate the allocation of funds and enable the timely completion of the houses.

He detailed the financial breakdown, indicating that Rs. 100 crore could result in the completion of 5,000 houses by February, and a phased release of Rs. 1879 crore would cover the remaining construction costs and distribution to beneficiaries. The Housing Minister stressed that with the release of Rs. 2168 crore, all houses could be completed, and allocations could be made by the following December.

Underlining the financial aspects of the housing scheme, Minister Zameer Ahmed explained the subsidy structure, with the government bearing Rs. 3 lakh of the Rs. 7.50 lakh cost per house. He cited the Cabinet's decision to release Rs. 500 crore for the completion of 1.82 lakh houses under the Slum Development Board scheme, as instructed by the Chief Minister.

The Minister also touched upon the allocation of Rs. 1000 crore for the development of minority colonies and the release of scholarship funds amounting to Rs. 60 crore for 6.4 lakh students. He emphasized the immediate release of funds from the Finance Department as instructed in the meeting.

In a recent Cabinet decision, it was agreed that beneficiaries would contribute to the construction of 1.82 lakh houses under the Slum Development Board, while the government would cover the costs of the pending 52,000 houses from 2013 by the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation. Chief Minister's Political Secretaries Naseer Ahmed and Govinda Raju, Chief Minister's Deputy Chief Secretary Atiq, Finance Department Secretary Zafar, Housing Department Secretary Naveen Raj Singh, and Minority Welfare Department Secretary Manoj Jain were present at the meeting.