BANGALORE: If everything goes as planned, the slum dwellers who are aspiring to own a house across the State will not have to wait for 15 years to get the ownership title (Occupancy certificates) as the State government is planning to reduce the waiting period to five years.The Union Government launched Rajiv Gandhi Awaas Yojana (RAY) as part of ‘Slum free India’ campaign. In this scheme, all the slums whether declared or undeclared, will be taken up for redevelopment.The Centre will provide financial support for both infrastructures development as well as creating housing facilities for urban poor. This scheme is linked with many pre-requisite which the State has to fulfil before getting assistance.According to the official sources from Under Secretary’s (Urban Development) office, at present, State government is facing difficulties in expanding the current land availability. In order to meet the demand, vertical slum development is being stressed.“Constructing houses similar to apartment is the need right now. In this regard, we decided not to transfer the ownership titles immediately,” sources said.Minister for Housing V Somanna, when contacted, said under Rajiv Gandhi Awaas Yojana, Central government will allot one lakh houses.Each house will cost Rs 50,000. The Central government will give Rs 33,000 and the State’s share is Rs 17,000. Apart from this, State government will construct houses for slum dwellers under ‘Basava Vasathi’ scheme for Rs 50,000.“We will arrange bank loan for beneficiaries for Rs 10,000 at 4 per cent interestrate,” he said.When contacted K R Niranjan, Special Commissioner to BBMP said that they are issuing khata to the beneficiaries who were allotted houses in the previous years. “The fresh ones who will be given houses will not get the occupancy certificates for another 15 years. They have to wait,” he said.However, explaining further, Somanna said that there are chances that the slum dwellers after getting the house will sell it for their personal reasons. Many of them will take loan and even before they repay it back, they would have sold the house. If that happens, the purpose of RAY or Basava Vasathi will not serve. “We earlier decided to give the occupancy certificates to the beneficiaries after 15 years,” he added.Somanna said the construction of 1.69 lakh houses is going on and soon it will be completed. It will be distributed to the beneficiaries. “However, now, we feel it is too long, so we are planning to reduce it to five years. I am going to speak to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda soon in this regard and make it five years,” he said.Meanwhile, the officials from Karnataka Slum Clearance Board said that there was no need to reduce number of years. “Chances of selling to others will still exist. The order issued in previous year is better,” the officials explained.
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