Aasare houses continue to elude flood victims

Non-availability of land, litigation halts work on 1,012 houses

The victims of October 2009 floods that ravaged 15 districts of north Karnataka, are yet to get  houses constructed for them under the Aasare project.

While the construction of as many as 19,718 houses has been completed, there has been an inordinate delay in allotting them to the beneficiaries, due to the laxity on the part of the district administration and elected representatives.

There has been no action despite the chief minister’s direction to deputy commissioners to distribute the houses.

According to sources, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda wrote to deputy commissioners on August 25, 2011, entrusting them with the responsibility of distributing Aasare houses, even if the district in-charge ministers were not available.

Since there was no action, the chief minister again wrote to deputy commissioners on April 2, 2012, directing them to hand over the constructed houses to the beneficiaries. According to officials, the infighting in the ruling BJP and drought in the State have delayed allotment of houses.

According to statistics available with Deccan Herald, as many as 3,071 houses are to be distributed in Bagalkot, 1,820 houses in Raichur, followed by Gulbarga (1,140), Bijapur (1,138), Bellary (1,134), Davangere (1,031), Gadag (936), Koppal (428), Haveri (250), Yadgir (240), Bidar (200) and 122 houses in Belgaum. Of the 47,923 houses constructed till now, 28,205 units have been allotted to the beneficiaries.

Of the total 57,389 houses to be constructed in 285 villages, the government agencies and donors were able to begin work only on 56,377 houses.

The government has been unable to take up construction of 1,012 houses due to lack of land availability and litigation.

Failure to appoint a committee to oversee the implementation of the scheme is one of the main reasons for delay in construction and distribution of houses to flood-hit.

The Aasare project, launched immediately after the 2009 floods is yet to deliver on its mandate.

Status report

Total villages     289
Villages fully shifted     149
Partially shifted     140
No of villages where
work is on     285
No of villages where
work is completed    65
Villages where houses
have been handed over    154
No of houses to be
built     57,389
Houses built – 47,923
Houses yet to be
constructed     3,292
Houses taken up for
construction – 53,102
Houses at foundation
level     2,348
Houses at lintel level    1,501
Houses at roof level     1,330
Houses distributed     28,205
Houses not taken up     1,012