Houses for slum dwellers in Chickpet inaugurated a year ago, but incomplete

BENGALURU: About 45 houses meant for the poor were inaugurated even before their completion at Parvatipura slum under Chickpet constituency limit the under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, The construction was taken up by the Karnataka Housing Board and Slum Development Board. With the houses remaining incomplete, the slum dwellers are now forced to live in rented houses and have expressed their dismaly over the delay.

Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister V Somanna and Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar had inaugurated the under-construction houses in 2022 and handed over the keys to be beneficiaries. But even a year later, basic infrastructure such as electricity, drinking water and toilets have not been provided and construction work is continuing. Some under-construction houses have also turned to a hub of illegal activities.

The slum dwellers have vented their ire at the elected representatives, saying that there is no one to hear them out.

Building construction work is going on even after six years.

Local resident Prakash said, “The construction of 45 houses has been going for the last five years. The keys of the houses were handed over to the beneficiaries even before their completion. There is no basic infrastructure provided in the houses like drinking water and electricity supply. The windows are not fixed in some houses. This project was taken up for the sake of publicity. We have brought it to the attention of authorities concerned, but no one has taken it seriously. There is value for poor people’s request. I request Housing Minister V Somanna to act immediately”.

Meharunnisa, another beneficiary, said, “We have been living here before the flats were constructed. It took almost six years to construct the building, but work has not yet been completed. They had promised that the project will be completed in one year, but that has not happened and no one is listening our problems”.

“If we ask the officials, they give evasive replies that there is shortage of finance, or that grants have not been received from the government and hence, it is taking time to get complete the works”, she added.

“We are living in rented house and are fed up of paying rent since the last six years. If they provide electricity and water connections at least, we can adjust with this room. The department concerned should to fix the problem soon and allow us to stay here”, she requested.