CREDAI convention: CM urges real estate developers to plan housing projects for poor

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Suresh Vamanjoor)

August 25, 2012

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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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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