Deadline Deve Gowda puts govt in a spot

Deadline Deve Gowda puts govt in a spot
Deccan Herald

After one-and-a-half hours of confabulations, Mr Dharam Singh and Mr Deve Gowda put up a unity front and reassured that the government was here to stay.

As a follow-up to his Daridra Narayana rally, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday set October 2 deadline for Chief Minister N Dharam Singh to provide ownership rights and yellow ration cards to slum dwellers in Bangalore and extend Yashaswini health insurance cover to unorganised labour.

Mr Gowda submitted a memorandum comprising 14 demands, including the above three, on behalf of slum dwellers, to the chief minister at his home office Krishna. But the deadline referred to only three demands.

He demanded that ownership rights should be conferred on all slum dwellers and revenue site holders as decided by the previous Janata Dal government headed by him, besides providing civic amenities in slums.

He suggested that housing complexes should be constructed in slums that have come up on private land, which is in the process of being acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority. While 50 per cent of complexes should be provided to the slum dwellers, the remaining should be given to the land owners.

He suggested that the state Cabinet set a cut off date for regularising unauthorised constructions as well as conferring ownership rights.

Mr Gowda also demanded regularisation of unauthorised constructions measuring less than 30x40 feet on BDA land, by collecting the market value of the land.

The other demands included giving priority to developing 33 wards which were added to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by the Janata Dal government, providing skill-oriented training to youth in slums, providing risk insurance cover of Rs one lakh to auto drivers, ensuring easy availability of loans at 8 per cent interest for purchasing autos, setting up welfare boards for tailors, barbers and artisans.

For the Middle Class

Mr Gowda also suggested that steps should be taken by the government to distribute at least 50,000 sites to the genuine siteless middle class residents of Bangalore.

Mr Dharam Singh, who held a 90-minute consultation in this regard with Mr Gowda as well as heads of civic agencies and various government departments, assured Mr Gowda of implementing the demands.

Addressing a joint press conference with Mr Gowda after receiving the memorandum, Mr Singh denied allegations that Mr Gowda was trying to pressurise him thorough such demands.

Instead, Mr Gowda was co-operating with the government and implementation of these demands would bring a good name to the government, Mr Dharam Singh claimed. “It is a good indication that the government will complete its full term,” he remarked.