MYSURU: The Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat has identified 35,050 houseless families and 4,471 site-less families during its recent 2024-25 survey. They have recommended the construction of homes for these families, pending state approval for houses to be allocated under various government housing schemes.
Among the 35,050 identified houseless families, Chamarajanagar taluk reported the highest with 11,582, followed by Gundlupet (10,782), Hanur (3,729), Kollegal (4,499), and Yelandur (4,458). This survey also revealed that 11,358 of these families belong to Scheduled Castes, 4,453 to Scheduled Tribes, and 19,239 to other categories.
For the 4,471 site-less families, the breakdown includes 1,577 families from Chamarajanagar taluk, Gundlupet (1,806), Hanur (833), and Kollegal (251). Despite being allotted houses, these families face challenges constructing homes without designated land, urging the Zilla Panchayat to allocate sites alongside housing.
The Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat conducted this survey after five years to pinpoint homeless and site-less individuals in rural areas under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gram (PMAY-Gram) and other government housing initiatives. To ensure accurate identification, district authorities carried out physical verifications of the families, incorporating GPS apps to document their details.
The gram panchayat staff, including development officers and secretaries, played a key role in assessing the housing situation, capturing photos, and checking land availability for construction.
CEO of Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat, Mona Roth, confirmed that a total of 35,050 houseless and site-less families were identified in the fresh survey. The ZP has advocated for housing allotments under PMAY-G, aimed at providing homes for the homeless in rural regions, along with other state housing schemes like the Basava Housing Scheme, Ambedkar Niwas Yojane, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi schemes.
Roth emphasized that houses and sites will be available to these families once approved by higher authorities under the appropriate housing schemes. She noted that the government offers grants of Rs 1.2 lakh for general category applicants and Rs 1.75 lakh for SC/ST beneficiaries. Mahadevaiah, a tribal activist in Chamarajanagar, mentioned that many families are still residing in cramped conditions and thus it would be beneficial for the government to provide housing through various district schemes.
He also urged the government to increase housing grants, citing rising construction material costs including sand, gravel, steel, and cement.
