Mysore/Mysuru: Setting Feb. 2023 as the deadline for completion of PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) Housing Project at Mandakalli, where 2,446 houses for beneficiaries of Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency is coming up, Housing Minister V. Somanna on Saturday said that the Government was ready to build 1,000 more houses if land was provided.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for PMAY-Housing for all project being executed under the joint aegis of Housing Department, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited (RGHCL), District Administration and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), at  Mandakalli (behind Mandakalli Airport) in the taluk yesterday.

Pointing out that the Housing Project which will cost Rs. 158 crore, is coming up on a 33-acre land, Somanna said that there will be 48 units of G+1 Model and 2,398 houses in the G+2 Model, totalling 2,446 houses.

Giving details of the Project funding, Somanna said that the Centre is providing Rs. 36.69 crore, while the State Government is releasing Rs. 37.17 crore, RGHCL, which is the implementing agency, is chipping with Rs. 16.95 crore and the balance amount is to be paid by the Project beneficiaries. Each House will cost Rs. 6.61 lakh, he added.

Continuing, Somanna said that the beneficiaries were asked to deposit Rs. 70,000 in 20 days and pay the remaining amount within the next three months. He further stated that the Housing Ministry has set a target of completing 7,592 houses under Basava Housing Scheme, 2,648 houses under Dr. B.R.  Ambedkar Nivas Yojana in rural areas  and 931 houses under Vajpayee Urban Housing Scheme and 294 houses under Dr. B.R.  Ambedkar Housing Scheme in urban areas of the district this year.

“3.55 lakh houses have been built by RGHCL ever since the present BJP Government came to power. Also, measures are in place for construction of 1,58,287 houses for which 5503.87 acres of land has been acquired. So far, the Government has released Rs. 34 crore as subsidy for housing beneficiaries”, the Minister maintained.

Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) asked the beneficiaries not to forfeit the opportunity by failing to make the initial payment. Advising the allottees not to sub-let their houses, GTD praised Somanna, saying that various Housing projects have received traction ever since he assumed charge as Housing Minister. He also appealed the people to pray God for Somanna to become the Chief Minister.

On his part, Somanna referred to the names of GTD and MP Pratap Simha a number of times. Maintaining that he stayed for 45 days in Mysuru when he served as Mysuru District-in Charge Minister for 229 days, Somanna asserted that he cannot forget the co-operation extended by GTD and Pratap Simha. Contended that the two were the driving force of the programme, Somanna said just as CM Bommai has provided homes to transgenders at Bengaluru, Simha and GTD have done the same in Mysuru, without giving any scope for lapses in the allotment.

Somanna also heaped praises on MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, saying that Government Schemes can be executed in time if there were officials of his (Reddy) kind in all Urban Local bodies.

In-charge Mayor Sunanda Palanetra, MLC C.N. Manjegowda, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, ADC M.J. Roopa, MCDCC Bank President G.D. Harish Gowda, RGHCL Managing Director Dr. Basavaraju, General Manager Mahadeva Prasad, Corporators Ramesh, Nirmala Harish and Lakshmi Kiran, City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, Chamundeswhari Constituency BJP President Mahadevaswamy, leaders M. Shivanna, Hanumanthu, Yashaswini Somasehkar, G. Somashekar and others were present.