Title deeds of 980 houses built under the Aasare scheme for those affected by the 2009 floods were handed over at Halavagilu village and in Harpanahalli town.
Speaking at Halavagilu in Harpanahalli taluk, Horticulture Minister and district in-charge S.A. Ravindranath said each house was built at a cost of Rs. 1.4 lakh on 30x50 ft sites.
He urged people not to sell or pledge the houses for loans.
Basic facilities, including drinking water, roads and drainage had been ensured. The Horticulture Department would provide free coconut and margosa saplings to be planted outside each house. The district administration had been directed to set up fair price shops nearby, the Minister said.
The remaining houses — a total of 1,033 houses had been planned — would soon be completed and handed over to the beneficiaries, he added.
The former Minister G. Karunakara Reddy, who presided over the function, said that of the 980 houses completed, 250 were at Halavagilu, 540 in Harpanahalli, 130 in Garbagudi and 60 in Haleoblapura. All roads in the localities had been asphalted and milk dairy branches would soon be set up, he said.
Water
G.M. Siddeshwar, Davangere MP, said the foundation stone had been laid for drinking water works in over 105 villages in Harpanahalli taluk.
The town would have benefited had the train services between Harihar and Kotturu been started. Although the line had been laid long ago, services had been delayed as compensation had not been given to all farmers whose lands were acquired, he said.
Mr. Siddeshwar also blamed the Centre for the delay in the proposed survey on constructing a railway line from Bangalore to Davangere via Tumkur and Chitradurga.
Chidananda Iguru, president of the Davangere Zilla Panchayat; Geetha Bai Krishna Naik, president of the Harpanahalli Taluk Panchayat; and Deputy Commissioner S.S. Pattanashetty were among those who participated in the function.
