Karnataka mulls 50,000 house sites in each district for poor: Muniyappa

Mangaluru: The Karnataka government is considering allotting 50,000 house sites in each district to poor people, including those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Social Welfare Minister K H Muniyappa said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Muniyappa said the government intended to extend basic infrastructure and welfare measures to poor people across communities.

He said the government was implementing measures under its Land Ownership Scheme to provide agricultural land to landless SC and ST beneficiaries. Steps were also being taken to provide basic amenities to homeless people, he said.

The minister said pre-matric and post-matric hostels would be established according to demand. More residential schools would also be opened in view of the demand for such institutions.

Responding to questions over allegations that funds under the SC/ST sub-plan were being used for guarantee schemes, Muniyappa said 24 per cent of allocations from various departments were reaching SC and ST beneficiaries.

He said the government was also providing funds for community halls at district, taluk, hobli and panchayat levels. The allocations were Rs 4 crore at the district level, Rs 2 crore at the taluk level, Rs 85 lakh at the hobli level and Rs 20 lakh at the panchayat level.

The facilities would also support libraries and other development activities, he said.

Muniyappa said the Social Welfare Department was focusing on improving the quality of education in its hostels and residential schools. Students from residential schools were securing more than 90 per cent marks and pursuing higher education, he said.

Social Welfare Department Commissioner Rakesh Kumar was among those present (eom)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India