JOIN USApplications pour in for housing schemes
Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake has announced that the state will effectively implement housing schemes in the State, especially in cities.
Though housing schemes, mainly for the people belonging to SC/ST and backward classes, have evoked huge response, the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) is finding it difficult to meet the needs of beneficiaries. The MCC is implementing Vajpayee Urban Housing Scheme, Vajpayee Urban Site Scheme for the BPL card holders, 22.75 fund for the welfare of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, 7.75 per cent for other backward classes and 3 per cent (all 3 are reserved) for physically challenged.
Applications pour
Under Vajpayee Urban Site Scheme,20X30 sq ft sites can be distributed to BPL card holders. From 2010 to May, 2013, the MCC received 3,600 applications as against the target of 1200. Of them, 918 were found eligible for sites. In Mangalore North, of the 219 applicants selected, sites have been allotted to only 85 families. In Mangalore South, though 699 families were selected, not even one site has been distributed.
Under the Vajpayee Urban Housing Scheme, the MCC has received 704 applications against the target 1800. Of them, 330 applications have been rejected and loans have been sanctioned for 163 houses. Financial aid will be provided to 20 families and the remaining 211 applications are still under process.
Under 22.75 per cent fund earmarked for the welfare of the SC/ST, about 66 applications were received for housing during 2011-12. The MCC received 23 applications last year.
Long way to go
Under Vajpayee Urban Site Scheme, beneficiary can avail Rs 75,000 as bank loan and Rs 75,000 as subsidy. Beneficiary has to pay Rs 30,000. For the housing scheme, now the subsidy has been increased to Rs 1.5 lakh. Beneficiary should contribute Rs 30,000 to avail the benefit and he can also get bank loan up to Rs 50,000.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, MCC Community Development expert Chittaranjan Das said: “ There was a proposal of providing sites to 699 families in available 11.24 acres of land in Mangalore South using Ground+two flat method. Here 12 houses can be built in one flat. The government had planned to provide houses for 40 families in one acre. In Mangalore North, MCC has 7.5 acre of land for sites. The estimated budget was Rs 52 crore and the estimation was sent to Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Corporation Limited.”
“The estimated cost would increase as we just considered house and not the staircases. Though we don’t have dearth of land, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited is yet to respond to the proposal. If they agree to the proposal and release enough money we can move further,” he said. Officials feel it is not an easy task to provide shelter to all those waiting to have their own dream home.