GULBARGA: In an attempt at further decentralising powers to the panchayat raj institutions, the State Government has decided to empower the gram panchayats to select beneficiaries under the Ashraya Housing Scheme and construct houses for the poor.

The State Government has already given the gram panchayats more financial powers to take up development programmes under different schemes implemented thus far by the zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats and State Government agencies.

Disclosing this to The Hindu here on Thursday, the Managing Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Housing Development Corporation, Sivasailam, who is also the Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, said this decision announced in the budget speech by the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will further strengthen the panchayat raj institutions and bring in a qualitative change in the implementation of the Ashraya Scheme, designed to provide shelter to people among the economically weaker sections.

Gram sabhas

He said that as per the new arrangement, the gram panchayats have been empowered to select the beneficiaries through gram sabhas and given financial powers to sanction the Rs. 30,000 to each of the beneficiaries for taking up construction of Ashraya houses.

The beneficiaries have also been given the freedom to plan and construct the houses as per their requirements, Mr. Sivasailam pointed out.

They can also select the construction agency or take up the work on their own.

Development works

Mr. Sivasailam said the gram panchayats performing well in the recovery of assistance provided under the Ashraya Scheme to the beneficiaries will be rewarded by sanctioning 25 per cent of the recovered amount for taking up development works in villages coming under their jurisdiction.

However, he said the Government will continue with fixing the target for the construction of Ashraya houses for each of the gram panchayats based on the demand placed by them for the houses.

Target

Although the Government has decided to construct 1.25 to 1.50 lakh Ashraya houses in the State this year, the proposal of fixing targets for the gram panchayats is before the Cabinet and a decision will be taken shortly.

To a question, Mr. Sivasailam said a time-limit of nine months has been fixed for the construction of houses under the Ashraya Scheme from the date of release of the first instalment of the assistance.

The gram panchayats have the powers to re-allot houses that have remained unoccupied or that have not been constructed after getting the approval from the gram sabhas.

In the new system, the gram panchayats that complete the construction of houses as per the target fixed by the Government in the beginning of the year will get preference in the next allotment. The gram panchayats where the limit as far as houses are concerned has already been reached will not be given further allotment.

Mr. Sivasailam said that there has not been a shortfall in the construction of Ashraya houses in the State last year and the one lakh target that had been fixed has been achieved.

In urban areas

In the urban areas, the Government will fix the target as per the demand placed by the municipalities and here also the freedom to construct houses will be entrusted to the beneficiaries, he added.

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