Speed up PM Awas, Svanidhi schemes: BSY tells banks

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday asked banks to prioritize lending under the PM Awas Yojana and the PM SVANidhi schemes in which Karnataka is lagging behind other states.

Chairing a review meeting at Vidhana Soudha, Yediyurappa found delays on the part of banks in disbursing credit under the two schemes.

Under the PM Awas Yojana credit-linked subsidy scheme, only 53,695 applications have been processed, which is low compared with other states, Yediyurappa found.

Similarly, on affordable housing, only 1.16 lakh work orders had been issued out of 3.46 lakh cases and 19,658 homes have been completed. Apparently, Yediyurappa lost his cool on this.

“The CM expressed concern that the bank loan process has not started,” a statement from Yediyurappa’s office stated.

Under the PM SVANidhi scheme, in which street vendors are given capital loans, 2.24 lakh applications have been received, but only 66,423 have been approved. “This is a scheme that will benefit those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Banks should clear pending applications soon,” Yediyurappa said.

‘Just following court order on evictions’

Housing Minister V Somanna justified the eviction of over a dozen slum dwellers in Agrahara Dasarahalli in Bengaluru on Thursday.

“These were homes that were originally allotted to the poor. They were occupied by the privileged. Also, there was a court order based on which authorities took action,” Somanna said, losing his cool with the media.

“Why are we supporting these people instead of poor people?”