Houses for flood victims not ready yet: Naidu

BANGALORE: Housing Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu has admitted on Saturday that the state government will not be able to keep its promise of providing pucca houses to the flood victims of the North Karnataka region before the onset of monsoon in June.

Naidu said that the flood victims will have to continue living in the temporary huts as the government will be able to complete the construction of houses only by November or December. “Only about 20,000 houses will be ready by June. The rest of them will have to somehow manage. I think it will take another six months to complete all the 65,000 houses under the Aasare scheme,” said the Minister. Naidu cited the shortage of labourers as the reason for the delay, adding, “If there is insufficient manpower, how can the government be blamed?”

Refuting allegations that the flood victims were made to suffer due to the delay in the construction, Naidu said the deputy commissioners of flood-hit districts were directed to ensure that the temporary shelters were in a good condition.

‘Every paisa will be accounted for’

Housing Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu said the details regarding expenditure of money for making houses for flood victims would be made public.

He was responding to the criticism from Adichunchanagiri Pontiff Balagangadharanatha Swamy over lack of information on progress of construction work made from the monetary contribution of the math, Asare project. Naidu said he would provide details regarding the expenditure to the seer.

“We will furnish accounts regarding expenses for every paise that has been spent for rehabilitation package, including the money which came through donations from general public and assistance from the state and Central governments. Nobody should have doubts in this regard,” he said.

Naidu, who is also the minister for BWSSB, said the rejuvenation of Arkavathy and Kumudavathy rivers by undertaking massive desiltation at the cost of Rs 45 crore will start from Monday.

“The BWSSB will provide Rs 15 crore for this work. The rejuvenation of these rivers was bewing taken up to protect the source of water that feeds Thippagondanahalli reservoir, which caters to the water-supply needs of Bangalore,” he added.

Naidu said about 19,400 families living in various notified slums would be given possession certificates and sale deed within a month. He informed that the state had a total of 2,704 slums in which 40.5 lakh people were living. This included 570 slums from Bangalore alone, accounting for about 15 lakh population.

He said the government had decided to build 3.5 lakh houses for poor families this year: 1.5 lakh houses under the Ashraya Housing Scheme, 50,000 under Vajpayee Housing Scheme and 1.5 lakh under slum clearance scheme.