MCC to allot sites after 19 years

This appears to have happened because the corporation has not distributed sites since 1992 even as the State Government did not set targets for allotment of houses until recently.According to figures given by Joint Commissioner M. Vijaykumari Shenoy, the corporation has received 4,500 applications for sites. Of them, 1,300 were received in 2003 when a survey of the city was done for this purpose. However, the target set by the Government for the Vajpayee Mane Niveshana Yojane allows only 1,200 people to get sites in 2010-11.

Asked for the previous years' targets and achievement, Ms. Shenoy said that the Government had not set targets since 2005-06.

The last time the city corporation allotted sites was in 1992.

It was only with the Vajpayee Mane Niveshana Scheme introduced during 2010-11 that targets were set for allotment of sites, she said. She said the process of verification was yet to begin and it would take around a week for completion after which, sites could be allotted.

She said that the district administration had identified 13.43 acres of land at Idya village near Suratkal and at Padavu area.

Layouts would be developed there after obtaining clearances from the Forest Department, she said.

In contrast, the Vajpayee Vasati Yojane has attracted 410 applications of which, 395 have been approved.

The scheme provides assistance to 600 people for construction of houses.

It will be in the form of loan, subsidy and the contribution of the beneficiary.

Ms. Shenoy said even for housing schemes in previous years, the State Government had not specified targets. “Without a target, how can we give loans to people?”

She said that the corporation was not accepting applications anymore.

It was only recovering loans given to beneficiaries for construction of houses in 2003.