Centre to consider setting up inquiry for not allotting flats in Delhi under JNNURM: Manohar Lal
New Delhi (PTI): Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Monday said the Centre will consider a suggestion to set up an inquiry for non-allotment of around 48,000 flats constructed in the national capital for the poor under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Replying to a supplementary during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said flats in Delhi were constructed in 2012 under the JNNURM scheme, with the support of both the central and state government.
Lal said he was "astonished" that these homes were not allotted to the poor by the then Delhi government under Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
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He said the conditions of the remaining flats, nearly 48,000 units, have become worse and some are not even livable.
The minister was replying to a question by Rajya Sabha Member Swati Maliwal, who said that only 4,871 flats were allotted to the poor out of the total 52,344 flats constructed.
Maliwal accused the then AAP government in Delhi for not allotting these flats because of vote bank politics as it wanted to take credit.
She asked the government whether it would initiate an inquiry to punish the guilty and also plans to repair these flats.
To this, the minister said, "we will consider the suggestion (of the member) that culprits get punishment".
Lal said the current Delhi government under BJP has come forward to repair these homes so that it could be allotted to the poor who are living in slums.
Those homes which are not livable would be inspected and thereafter demolished for reconstruction, the minister added.
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Karnataka bypolls: Over 60 per cent voter turnout in Bagalkot, Davanagere South till 5 pm
Bengaluru (PTI): Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in both Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, where bypolls were held on Thursday.
While the turnout in Bagalkot was 65.68 per cent, it was 63.04 per cent in Davanagere South.
While the ruling Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to its rival, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
A total of over 2.59 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates are in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
