Per unit cost of houses constructed under various housing schemes in the state is set to increase, post presentation of state budget. While the government at present sanctions Rs 1.2 lakh as unit cost, this could well be slightly more than double to Rs 2.5 lakh, noted housing minister V Somanna.
The housing department will also look at a realistic target of constructing 2 lakh houses per financial year from April 1, 2020, he noted.
In a chat with media on Wednesday, Somanna said, “I have already urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to increase the limit to Rs 2.5 lakh and am certain that he will do so. The limit could at least be enhanced to Rs 2 lakh.” This hike is a must given the steep hike in cost of construction materials, Somanna said, adding this move will also give a fillip to union government’s ambition to provide housing for all in rural and urban areas.
Expressing dismay at the rot that had set in the housing department since the time he was in-charge there, Somanna without naming the governments or people in charge of the department said, “Inquiry ordered since I took over has helped unearth large scale irregularities in housing targets with cowsheds, pig sty, goat sheds all being counted as dwelling units,” he said adding the government has withdrawn grants allocated to around 7 lakh such homes.
While grants to 5.95-lakh homes was withdrawn at government level, grants to additional 1.05 lakh homes was stopped following high level inquiry carried out by the Chief Secretary, he said. On the other hand, government has sanctioned Rs 211 crore to help genuine beneficiaries spread across 173 assembly constituencies whose projects were locked out from the system for various reasons, by restoring them and releasing funds through respective ZP CEOs.
Blaming his predecessors for stopping practices initiated by him to check fraudulent dealings including GPS tagging of houses, Somanna said department is coming up with an App that will help nodal officers monitor progress real-time. The process of scrutiny of housing applications will be reduced to 15-days, he said adding discussions are on to transfer grants directly to accounts of beneficiaries as was done in case of those affected by recent floods.
