K'taka to become 'slum free state' by 2015

Gulbarga, Aug 28 (UNI) Karnataka Housing Minister D T Jayakumar today said the State would become 'slum free' by 2015.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the Government would introduce a new housing policy and the draft proposal would be put before the next Cabinet meeting.

A master plan was already evolved to replace all slums in the State by constructing 25 lakh houses with the help of private partnership, he added.

Mr Jayakumar said the government was committed to make the State 'hutfree' by 2010, constructing pucca houses to hut dwellers. As per a survey in 2003, it was noticed that there were 25.50 lakh families owning homes or house sites and the government was planning to construct houses for them under the various schemes.

As per the new housing policy, 30 per cent of plots would be given to the owner, whose land was acquired by the housing board for constructing houses for the poor, he added.

Nearly 70 per cent of houses, allotted by the government to the homeless had been occupied by others. ''Government will bring a Legislation against such illegal occupation,'' the Minister concluded.

UNI