Bangalore: Karnataka Cabinet on Friday cleared a
policy seeking to give land title deeds to slum-dwellers,
remove hurdles in constructing dwelling units in such areas
and provide minimum infrastructure there.
Slum population in Karnataka is about 40 lakh, living in
2,722 slums in government and private land, Law and Urban
Development Minister S Suresh Kumar said in a press briefing
after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister DV
Sadananda Gowda.
This includes 597 slums in Bangalore, where 15 lakh people
live.
The aim of the policy is to make the State slum-free, and
the Government would strive to achieve the goal in five to
eight years, he said. The policy envisages providing of
quality dwelling units and minimum infrastructure such as
electricity, drinking water and roads.
As much as 22 per cent of the population in urban areas of
the State live in backward and slum areas, the Minister said.
Suggestions of the Union Ministry of Housing and Poverty
Alleviation have been incorporated in the policy, which is
also aimed at preventing creation of new slums, Suresh Kumar
said.
PTI
