Urban Development and Housing Minister U.T. Khader said here on Saturday that he will consider increasing the income criterion to make many below poverty line families eligible for houses in rural areas.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Khader said presently a household with an annual income of ₹32,000 was eligible for a house in a rural area. Many house-less BPL families are being denied houses as their income was above the stipulated criterion. The present income criterion was far less to the criterion fixed for BPL families in other social welfare schemes.
Increasing limit
Mr. Khader said he was in favour of increasing the income criterion to ₹1 lakh, which is the limit fixed for BPL families for urban housing scheme. The Minister said he was also thinking of simplifying norms to make even houseless above poverty line households eligible for homes. He will discuss this and other issues with officials in a meeting to be held in Vikasa Soudha on Monday. He will also hold discussion with Mayors, Zilla Panchayat presidents and other representatives of local bodies.
Development work
Mr. Khader said he will focus on development of Mangaluru and other cities in the State and he will not do any politics in it. “I will work with the seven BJP MLAs for development of Dakshina Kannada,” he said. Asked whether he will have a free hand in his functioning in the coalition government under Chief Minister H.D. Kumarasawamy, Mr. Khader said, “If you work honestly, you will not have any problems.” He added that he enjoys good support from Mr. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara.