The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is likely to subsidise housing plots allotted to people with disabilities.
BDA Commissioner T. Sham Bhat told presspersons here on Saturday that he would table a proposal during the next meeting of the BDA governing board to provide across-the-board subsidies to people with disabilities.
He was speaking on the sidelines of an inspection of the BDA headquarters carried out by the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
At present, the only subsidy is for those persons allotted plots in layouts for economically weaker sections. Plots in EWS layouts are cheaper by 50 per cent in comparison to others.
Of course, it may be some time before intent meets action. BDA plots will become cheaper by half for people with disability only if the proposal Mr. Bhat spoke of is approved by the governing board and subsequently by the State government. Once the government approves the proposal, there will have to be an amendment to those sections of the BDA Act that pertain to allotment of plots. The only benefit that the disabled enjoy during BDA plot allotments is a 2 per cent reservation.
As part of the 2 per cent scheme, people with disability were allotted 213 plots in Banashankari 6th Stage in 2002, 195 plots in the Banashankari 6th Stage Extension (2002) and the Visvesvaraya Extension Layouts (2004), 176 plots in the Arkavathy Layout (2010).
