Bengaluru: Declaring that the Government has set in motion construction of one lakh more houses in urban areas, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the construction of 52,000 houses is completed and work order for the construction of 50,000 more houses has been issued.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the construction of 1,588 houses for slum-dwellers of Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly segment, under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana at Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Pointing out that he had promised development of Bengaluru under Nagarothana scheme, improvement of civic amenities in slum areas and conservation of lakes, Bommai said that the construction of 1,588 houses is being taken up as part of his promise.

Stating that the Government has hiked subsidy for SC/ST housing beneficiaries from

Rs. 1.75 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh, he said that 5,000 Government lands have been identified for the benefit of poor families, who will get either a house or a site. Maintaining that the State and Central Governments together have paid Rs. 22,000 crore as compensation for crop loss due to national disasters, he said that the Housing Department, in association with Karnataka Slum Development Board, will work for infrastructure development in slum areas.