Work on Central housing projects tardy in Karnataka: Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Implementation of the Centrally sponsored housing scheme - Prime Minister Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) - seems to be poor in Karnataka.

Though the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs sanctioned 6.63 lakh houses to the state, only 1.89 lakh houses are completed.

Expressing unhappiness over the delay, Ministry officials told the state to expedite the works.

The Ministry also asked the Karnataka to submit utilisation certificate for money sanctioned by the Centre.

Though the Ministry had released Rs 2,711 crore to build the houses, Karnataka has submitted utilisation certificate to the Centre about the spending of only Rs 1,965 crore. The Ministry has asked the state to submit utilisation certificate for the remaining Rs 746 crore immediately.

The state is also yet to provide Aadhaar number and bank account details of around 40% of the beneficiaries. The geo-tagging of 27% of the beneficiary-led construction category houses is yet to be completed.

Karnataka has around 1,424 slums with 7.08 lakh slum dwellers. Apart from building houses under Rajiv Awas Yojana, the state has not prepared plan to eradicate slums and provide dignified living to slum dwellers, the Ministry said.

Recently, Housing Minister V Somanna and Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya met Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to take up issues related to the state's issues with the ministry.

Somanna also appraised the minister of the current position of the construction of houses in the state. He assured the union minister that the construction of houses and the delivery to beneficiaries would be expedited.