The Karnataka Government with an aim to make the State slum-free has decided to remove all hurdles in taking up construction and re-development of slum areas.

land title deeds

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, the State Law and Urban Development Minister, Mr S. Suresh Kumar, said “Today's Cabinet meet decided to give slum dwellers land title deeds and provide basic infrastructure while taking up re-development of slum areas.”

“The main aim of this exercise is to make the State slum-free in five to eight years,” he added.

According to the survey conducted by the State Government, as much as 22 per cent of the population in urban areas of the State live in slum areas.

In all, there are 40 lakh people living in 2,722 slums spread across the Government and private land.

This includes 597 slums in Bangalore, where 15 lakh people live.

Formulate policy

Mr Suresh Kumar said the Cabinet has empowered the Chief Minister to hold department level meeting to formulate a policy to provide quality dwelling units and with basic infrastructure such as electricity, drinking water and roads.

Assembly Session

The Cabinet also approved a 10-day Assembly Session of the Karnataka Legislature to begin on January 30.

The session would commence with an address by the Governor, Mr H.R. Bhardwaj, to the joint session.

Backward Class

The Cabinet today decided to include the Arasu community under backward classes 2A category giving its members ‘academic benefits' and reservation in recruitment.

Mr Suresh Kumar said the community's population was about 40,000.

They had actually been included under 2A in 1977 but subsequently had been dropped from the list by ‘various backward classes commissions'.

Naxal Activity

Mr Suresh Kumar said the Cabinet has given its approval to hire people in different trades on contract basis in nine taluks, where ‘Naxal activity' is forcing the Government employees refusing to get transferred or have refused to join duty.

The nine taluks in three districts of Tumkur, Chikamagalur and Udupi are: Karkala, Kundapura, Sringeri, Mudigere, Koppa, Hosanagara, Thirthahalli, Belthangady and Pavagada, where 107 villages and 709 sub-villages have been “identified” for Naxal activity.

In all these districts, the deputy commissioners have been empowered to constitute a committee and hire people to take up development works.

According to Mr Suresh Kumar, different trades are primary school teachers, nurses, midwives, agriculture assistants, Anganawadi workers, bore-well mechanics and pump set operators.

>anil.u@thehindu.co.in

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