Pilgrimage subsidy for BPL families soon

 
Under the scheme, the government will provide BPL families with travelling and lodging facilities at subsidised rates, so that they can visit religious places. “Most poor families cannot afford travelling and lodging expenses to visit religious places. The department wants to extend a helping hand to them. A sum of Rs 10 crore will be spent on this during the current financial year,” Setty said.

The department has also called a Rs 60-crore tender for development of  Kukke Subrahmanya. The CM will soon lay the foundation stone to begin the work, which includes construction of guest houses and a parking lot. The department has also taken up construction of 500 guest rooms and 25 VIP cottages in Tirupathi at a cost of Rs 25 crore, he added.

Setty, who also holds the Housing portfolio, said that a Malaysia-based company has come forward to construct low-cost houses in three cost categories: Rs 1 lakh, 1.80 lakh, and Rs 2.50 lakh.

‘I’m not being watched’
Minister for Housing and Muzrai S N Krishnaiah Setty on Tuesday denied that he was under surveillance, and said that a person happened to be video-recording his inspection visit to a temple by ‘mere coincidence.’

“I have got a report that the person does not belong to the State intelligence department,” he told reporters.

Last week a person, who identified himself as a personnel of the State Intelligence, was caught recording Setty’s official visit to the Banashankari temple on his mobile phone. The person took to his heels when Setty learnt about it. The Minister had expressed his shock over the incident.

Setty has now changed his version, apparently after the Congress took up the issue, and demanded the resignation of the CM for spying on his ministerial colleagues. Asked about speculation that he would be dropped from the cabinet, he said, “Whatever is written in one’s fate will happen.”