Kodagu displaced people to get Rs 10K compensation per month: Minister U.T. Khader

Vartha Bharati | 25-09-2018 | 23:37:00 IST

Bengaluru, September 25: Housing and Urban Development Minister U.T. Khader said that the government has decided to give Rs 10,000 as monthly compensation for each family which lost its house in the natural disaster in the district till the displaced people were rehabilitated.

Speaking at the Vikasa Soudha here on Tuesday, the Minister said that the proposal to construct temporary sheds was dropped. Till the houses were constructed for the affected people, the government has decided to give Rs 10,000 compensation to each of the families which lost everything. Around 700-800 families have lost their houses in the disaster in the district and they were identified. It was decided to construct model houses at a cost of Rs 6 lakh each on the place to be identified by the deputy commissioner, he said.

The sanctioning of 72,370 houses of beneficiaries under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme who have not yet uploaded the progress of their houses through online was withheld. Total 37,508 beneficiaries have uploaded their details. Of them, the details of 19,000 beneficiaries were proper and as the details of remaining 18,000 beneficiaries were not correct, they were rejected. Remaining 34,822 beneficiaries have not yet uploaded their details in online. Even then, in order to protect the genuine beneficiaries, the government has given another chance to upload the details till October 15, he said.

If the beneficiaries get the certified copy from the panchayat development officer, they could upload their details during the extended time. They could call ‘Spandana’ call centre (toll free number- 23118888) for more details, the minister said.

Under the Chief Minister’s one lakh houses, total 49,500 beneficiaries were identified in Bengaluru. Tender process would be completed by October 10 and houses would be constructed shortly. In the second phase, selection process of the candidates would be conducted soon, he said.

In the slums, 23,153 houses including 15,747 in South and 7,406 houses in North would be constructed. Bengaluru city would get 6,367 houses, while Hassan-877, Mandya- 1,500, Chamarajnagar-500, Chikmagalur-530, Shivamogga-250, Chitradurga- 1,931, Davangere 755, Mysuru- 1,693, Bagalkot- 784, Dharwad- 500, Gadag- 644, Belagavi-749, Vijayapura- 2,100, Kalaburgi- 1,300 and Bidar- 250 houses, the Minister said.

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First-ever life-size Vivekananda statue in US unveiled in Seattle

12-04-2026 ¦ 12-04-2026 IST

Photo: PTI

New York (PTI): The first-ever life-size statue of Swami Vivekananda in the US was unveiled in Seattle, honouring the renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader.

The life-size bronze statue, installed at the busy Westlake Square in downtown Seattle, is the first such installation hosted by a city government anywhere in the US, officials said.

Sculpted by Indian artist Naresh Kumar Kumawat, it was jointly unveiled on Saturday by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta.

"From Chicago 1893 to Seattle 2026! Seattle's skyline has a new Indian icon: Swami Vivekananda! City of Seattle becomes the first city government to host the Swami Vivekananda Monument in the heart of downtown Seattle," the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in a social media post.

Addressing the event, Wilson said the monument reflects Seattle's inclusive spirit and strengthens cultural ties between India and the diverse metropolitan tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest.

The statue has been gifted by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) to the City of Seattle in recognition of its "in recognition of the city’s rich multicultural character and spirit of inclusivity", the Indian mission in Seattle said in a statement.

The unveiling of the statue was held on the occasion of the celebration of ICCR Day and is part of India's broader cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between India and the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate said.

Located at the bustling Westlake Square, which sees over 400,000 visitors daily, the monument stands near prominent landmarks including the Amazon headquarters ‘Spheres’, the Seattle Convention Centre and the Seattle Centre Monorail.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by several local leaders, including mayors from cities in the Greater Seattle area, community representatives and members of the Indian-American diaspora.

Swami Vivekananda had delivered his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, introducing Hindu philosophy to a global audience.