K'taka to come up with new housing scheme for BPL people

Mysore, Mar 18 (UNI) Plans are on the anvil to replace the Ashraya Housing Scheme with 'Navagrama Yojana' in Karnataka, state Housing Minister D T Jayakumar said today.

Talking to reporters here, he said under the 'Navagrama Yojana,' houses would be constructed in groups for people living below the poverty line, unlike the Ashraya Scheme where individual houses are provided.

The new scheme would be placed before the cabinet meeting for clearance and later discussed during the Budget session of the State Assembly, he added.

To a question, he said the government would soon take a decision on who would head the housing committees.

Mr Jayakumar said the Mysore airport upgradation work would be taken up soon. As the acquisition of land for the airport project had already been completed and other requirements fulfilled, the government was ready to hand over the land to the Airports Authority of India for commencing the upgradation work.

Referring to the ropeway project at the Chamundi hills, he said the Rs 15.5 crore project had already been approved and a date was being worked out for laying the foundation stone.

On the doubling of the railway line between Bangalore and Mysore, Mr Jayakumar said the state government had already agreed to provide its share of 50 per cent to the project and initial funds would be allocated in the coming Budget.

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