As part of his ambitious project of providing shelter to every Indian, Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to build 81 lakh new houses in the current financial year at a cost of ₹4.3 lakh crore, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines Pralhad Joshi said here on Saturday.
He was speaking at a felicitation programme by the citizens of Hubballi-Dharwad West constituency in a programme on the JSS College campus in Dharwad.
Mr. Joshi said that as part of the project, the Prime Minister had already asked MLAs and MPs of all political parties to submit a list of beneficiaries (shelterless people) to the department concerned.
Mr. Joshi said that the Union government was ready to create a platform to attract industries to the State, provided the government extended requisite cooperation. Talks are also on with industrialists to set up their plants in North Karnataka, he said.
On the industrial corridor mentioned in the Union Budget, Mr. Joshi promised to take requisite steps to ensure that Hubballi-Dharwad was a part of it.
He said that the massive mandate given to the BJP-led NDA government had increased the responsibility of the BJP in continuing to deliver a corruption-free governance.
Earlier, emphasising on the cultural significance of Dharwad, Arvind Bellad, MLA, urged the Union government to set up a cultural complex in Dharwad. He said a detailed proposal would be sent to the Centre and requested Mr. Joshi to pursue the matter at Delhi.
Presiding over the felicitation, the former Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University M.I. Savadatti said that with Dharwad getting a Union Minister after 45 years, it had a bright future.
Prof. Savadatti urged Mr. Joshi to take steps to establish more higher education learning institutes in Dharwad.
Earlier Mr. Joshi was felicitated in the presence of Sri Mallikarjun Swami of Murughamutt.
