Karnataka: Slum Board allots 36,789 houses among poor

Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan said the government has borne Rs 5 lakh as a share of each beneficiary of the housing scheme.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Slum Development Board allotted 36,789 houses among the poor at a programme held in Nagareshwara Nagenahalli in eastern Bengaluru's KR Puram on Saturday. 

These houses are located across the state, Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan said, adding that the government has borne Rs 5 lakh as a share of each beneficiary of the housing scheme. 

Khan said the government decided to bear the cost because many beneficiaries were unable to pay their share. He added it would cost Rs 6,170 crore to pay the instalment of all beneficiaries. "The chief minister has issued directions to release Rs 500 crore as the first instalment," he said. 

The Board, he said, plans to allot 1,80,253 houses next year. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said while Rs 1.54 lakh was given as a subsidy under the Union government's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to build a house, Rs 1.38 lakh was deducted as GST. 

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said they would appeal to the prime minister and the Union finance minister to waive GST.