In a major decision, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday announced a hike in the income limit for beneficiaries to become eligible for housing schemes. “The income limit in rural areas will be hiked from Rs 32,000 per annum to Rs 1.2 lakh. In urban areas, it will be hiked from Rs 87,600 to Rs 2 lakh. Orders are being issued,” Bommai told the Assembly.
This, he said, was a demand from lawmakers cutting across party lines.
The hike will make more people eligible for housing schemes, potentially earning brownie points for the ruling BJP ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Housing is generally a priority area for any government.
Earlier, Bommai said the BJP government had constructed 3.08 lakh homes in the past two years. “We have sanctioned five lakh new homes - four lakh in rural areas and one lakh in urban areas,” he said.
In addition, 18 lakh houseless beneficiaries have been added under the PMAY (Rural). “Finance is a challenge. We will provide funds in a phased manner,” he said.
According to Bommai, successive government sanctioning houses have resulted in a pile-up. “One government sanctions, another builds. There are many sanctioned houses whose construction is not complete,” he said.
When the Siddaramaiah-led Congress came to power in 2013, there were 8.4 lakh pending homes. “By 2018-19, there were 15.84 lakh pending homes,” he pointed out.
Karnataka implements six affordable housing schemes—Basava Vasati Yojane, Dr BR Ambedkar Nivas Yojane, Devaraj Urs Yojane, Vajpayee Nagara Vasati Yojane, Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana (PMAY) urban and PMAY rural.
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