Shelter for all plan to be finalised by Feb 15

Housing Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu told reporters here on Friday that meetings were being held to finalise the policy. The Government would study housing policies of different states before finalising. The policy would involve a programme to help the poor to have a house at a cost of Rs 1.10 lakh. Banks would provide loan of Rs 50,000 at low interest rate, Karnataka Housing Board would offer subsidy of Rs 35,000 and the State government would contribute Rs 15,000 per house.

The beneficiary would have to contribute remaining Rs 10,000. The scheme would be for poor people of all castes. As per the survey conducted by Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation there are about 4.5 lakh thatched huts in the State. The Government would provide houses for all those residing in huts in three phases. Each year about 1.5 lakh houses will be constructed, he said.

The minister said the Government would require Rs 900 crore to construct those many houses. As much as Rs 400 crore would be available from the fund meant for development of backward taluks as declared by the D M Nanjundappa report on regional imbalance, the Centre would provide Rs 264 crore and the rest would be borne by the State government.