State Bears Major Cost Of PM Awas Yojana, But Centre Gets Credit: Siddaramaiah
The Chief Minister distributed 42,345 houses constructed by the Housing Board and 46,000 houses built by the Slum Development Board to eligible beneficiaries from various districts of the State.
Hubballi: Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the objective of the State government’s housing and guarantee schemes was to bring slum dwellers and the poor into the social mainstream. He said despite the Congress government spending Rs 5,500 crore in the last two years exclusively on housing schemes, BJP is spreading lies that the State treasury is empty.
The Chief Minister distributed 42,345 houses constructed by the Housing Board and 46,000 houses built by the Slum Development Board to eligible beneficiaries from various districts of the State.
“For each house, the State gives Rs 4 to Rs 5 lakh, while the Centre gives less than Rs 1 lakh. But the scheme carries the Prime Minister’s name. The money is ours, the State government’s, but the credit is taken by the Centre,” he remarked.
“Slum dwellers must also become part of the mainstream. That is why we are distributing houses on such a large scale. Our guarantee schemes exist only to uplift the poor and integrate them into society,” Siddaramaiah said.
Recalling the Congress government’s earlier record, he said that during his first term as Chief Minister, the Congress government had constructed 14.58 lakh houses, creating a “housing revolution” in the State.
“After becoming Chief Minister for the second time, we distributed 36,789 houses in the first phase in 2024. Now, in the second phase, we are distributing about 45,000 more houses,” he said.
“Every year, we provide Rs 2,500 crore as subsidy for farmers’ pump sets. Along with this, we are spending generously on widow pensions, old-age pensions and other welfare schemes,” he said.
Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of making false claims and failing to honour its promises.
“They promised to bring back black money from abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh into every citizen’s bank account. Did they do it?” he asked.
He also alleged that the BJP and the Centre had failed Karnataka on key irrigation projects such as Mahadayi, Krishna Upper Bank and Bhadra Upper Bank, thereby cheating the people of the State.
He demanded that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi answer these charges.
