DH News Service

BANGALORE, July 27

Social Welfare Minister Kagodu Thimmappa today told the Legislative Assembly that the State government is planning to take up an extensive programme to provide houses to the shelterless Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes within three years.

Intervening in the discussion on demands for grants of various departments in the Legislative Assembly today, Mr Thimmappa said already the government had commissioned a survey to find out how many SC/STs in the State were shelterless.

The government has also decided to increase the number of beneficiaries under the Gangakalyana Scheme from 1,000 in the last year to 5,000 this year, he said. Participating in the discussion, Mr C Guruswamy (BJP), regretted over the poor infrastructural facility in Chamarajanagar district. Pointing out that the district was formed recently, he lamented that it still resembled a taluk-headquarters in terms of infrastructure. He demanded that the government should provide more funds to the newly created districts to provide necessary infrastructure. Mr Suresh Babu (JD-S) urged the government to take up intensive programme to counter the coconut mite disease on the lines of pulse polio programme and also allow neera tapping.