'No more ad-hoc allotment of sites'

The Karnataka government has decided against the allotment of sites under discretionary quota in Karnataka Housing Board’s Mysore and Bangalore areas, State Housing Minister V Somanna said on Friday. “Henceforth there will be no discretionary quota allotment of sites in Mysore and Bangalore by the Housing Board. The decision will be made applicable to other districts in a phased manner,” he told reporters here.

The government’s decision comes in the wake of such allotments triggering controversy especially in Bangalore and Mysore.While Somanna faced allegations of allotting sites under discretionary quota in Bangalore, former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa also came under fire for similar allotments. Somanna has rescinded discretionary allotment of sites ordered by him in Suryanagar layout formed by the Karnataka Housing Board.

He said the government has decided to construct five lakh houses for the poor by March next.