Karnataka - Mysore   

Focus on housing at interaction meet

MYSORE: The issue of housing for the poor and the middle-class took centre stage at an interaction programme organised for candidates contesting the Assembly elections from Krishnaraja Assembly Constituency in Mysore on Monday.

Rivals A.S. Ramdas of the Bharatiya Janata Party and M.K. Somashekar of the Congress came face to face at the interaction programme.

The former MLA M.K. Somashekar attributed the Government’s inability to distribute Ashraya houses to lack of availability of land. He blamed land developers, who had purchased vast tracts of land around the city making it virtually impossible for the Government to acquire land for the scheme.

The debate turned acrimonious when Mr. Somashekar accused Mr. Ramdas and his relative of possessing vast tracts of land.

Mr. Ramdas immediately said he would retire from politics if it was proved that he or his relatives possessed even 2 acres of land. Mr. Somashekar said the land may not be Mr. Ramdas’ or his relative’s name.

Mr. Somashekar said, “They possess the General Power Attorney (GPA) given by the people in whose names the lands stand. I can prove it by providing copies of the GPA.”

When Mr. Ramdas was asked how the Government could provide houses under the Ashraya scheme or MUDA could allot sites when the available land was already purchased by land developers, Mr. Ramdas said that the Government could not shirk its responsibility on that count. “If I am elected I will make the effort to allot houses under the scheme to at least 1,000 people every year,” he said. Earlier, Mr. Ramdas and Mr. Somashekar listed out their achievements during their respective tenures as MLAs of Krishnaraja constituency. While Mr. Ramdas said that he had posed 816 questions in the Assembly, eliciting praise from the then Speaker of the Assembly for his active participation in the proceedings, Mr. Somashekar claimed credit for implementation of the second phase of the Melapura drinking water scheme for the city.

Janata Dal (S) candidate Shivabasappa, said he was entering the fray from the constituency for the first time. “I am sure I will deliver the goods if elected” he said.

Bahujan Samaj Party candidate K.N. Sundar Raj said he would not make any promises but would satisfy the people if elected.

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