Karnataka to introduce new affordable housing policy with EWS mandate for private developers
Bengaluru: Karnataka is drafting a new Affordable Housing Policy that may require private real estate developers to allocate a portion of their projects for economically weaker sections (EWS). This initiative is part of preliminary discussions aimed at addressing the state’s housing challenges.
The policy is being developed by the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS), an urban-focused research organization co-founded by Nandan Nilekani and Deepak Parekh. IIHS was chosen for this task without a tender process.
Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan's office has confirmed that discussions are underway to include a clause mandating private developers to reserve inventory for EWS buyers. At present, residential layouts are only required to allocate spaces for civic amenities such as parks and playgrounds.
The policy is a key component of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's agenda for affordable housing. It aims to streamline procedures in the housing sector while ensuring inter-departmental coordination. It will replace the 2016 housing policy and is expected to help Karnataka secure additional funding from union government housing schemes.
Funding challenges have hindered the state's housing programs, such as the Chief Minister’s One Lakh Housing Scheme, where the per-unit cost of ₹11.2 lakh places a significant financial burden on beneficiaries. With banks reluctant to lend, the government faces an estimated ₹3,700 crore shortfall.
The state is evaluating two affordable housing models proposed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The first model, the Land Sharing Model, involves the government providing land to private developers, who would dedicate 30-50% of the land to affordable housing. Once the housing units are completed, they would be handed over to the government for distribution, while the developers would monetize the remaining land.
The second model, the Interest Subsidy Model, suggests offering a 3-5% subsidy on home loan interest, which would reduce monthly installments for beneficiaries from ₹8,700 to ₹5,500-6,800. This approach is expected to cost the government ₹60-170 crore annually.
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PIL in SC seeks SIT probe into Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of electoral roll manipulation
New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a former judge to probe allegations of large-scale manipulation of voters’ lists in the Bengaluru Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The petition, filed by Advocate Rohit Pandey through Advocate Kausar Raza Faridi, also sought directions restraining any further revision or finalisation of electoral rolls until compliance with the Court’s directions and an independent audit. It further sought binding guidelines to ensure transparency in the preparation and publication of electoral rolls, including mechanisms to detect duplicate or fictitious entries.
The petitioner cited Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on August 7 and claimed to have independently verified the allegations, pointing to 40,009 invalid voters and 10,452 duplicate entries in Bengaluru Central. Instances of voters holding multiple EPIC numbers across states, identical addresses and fathers’ names, and around 80 voters registered at a single small house were also highlighted.
The plea argued that such manipulation undermines Articles 324, 325, and 326 of the Constitution, distorts the principle of “one person, one vote,” and infringes the rights to equality and democratic participation under Articles 14 and 21.
