Mangalore, August 25: The government is willing to cooperate and encourage real estate developers if they come forward with housing projects for the poor and the lower middle class, said Jagadish Shettar, Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Speaking after inaugurating 'StateCon 2012' conference of CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India), Karnataka, at TMA Pai Auditorium in Mangalore on Saturday, Mr. Shettar said that reducing the number of slums in the state and providing homes for the poor is one among the many priorities of the state government. Organisations like CREDAI must work in the direction of building homes for the poor and the lower middle class and the state government is ready to extend help if such proposals are brought before it by real estate developers, Mr. Shettar said.
Stating that although real estate sector is the second largest employment generating sector in the country, Mr. Shettar said that environment conservation must also be of paramount importance to real estate developers.
The state government has earmarked 19, 065 crore for infrastructure development in the state, the Chief Minister said. Initiatives in PPP investments have been taken by the government whole-heartedly wherein 12 PPP projects are currently in operation and 21 others would see implementation, Mr. Shettar said. Development of roads, creation and expansion of minor airports, doubling of railway lines etc are also being given importance, he said, adding that the government also has plans of introducing the Karnataka Infrastructure Bill to improve the state's infrastructure and address issues concerning it.
Area Balakrishna Hegde, member of national executive committee of CREDAI and Sushil Mantri, State President, CREDAI, placed before the Chief Minister demands of a single window clearance system to ease out the process of sanction approvals which is now taking place in the form of about 170 permissions through 40 departments. The government takes about 3 years to grant approvals and hence it should work towards speeding up the process as delay in approvals results in hike of prices for inputs, the CREDAI representatives demanded. They also placed before the CM a demand to relax taxation norms for real estate developers as they are currently being made to pay VAT, service tax, as well as stamp duty. The government must confine tax payment from real estate developers to mere stamp duty, they demanded.
Suresh Kumar, Minister for Karnaraka Urban Development, said that the government will consider the single window clearance system and relaxation of taxes. The government aims at providing more houses to people at affordable prices at accessible distances, the Minister said, assuring full cooperation from his side in the initiatives of CREDAI in this regard. Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar also invited representatives to a meeting to be convened soon to discuss the single window clearance and tax relaxation issues besides others.
N Yogish Bhat, Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly, J Krishna Palemar, MLA, Gulzar Banu, Mayor, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, Ganesh Karnik, MLC, PMA Razzaq, President, CREDAI, Mangalore, K C Naik, founder secretary and former president of CREDAI, were present among others.
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