42,345 PM Awas Yojana houses to be distributed in Hubballi today

As a host of Ministers, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, are set to participate in a State-level programme for distribution PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses built by Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) to be held off Mantur Road in Hubballi on Saturday, the local authorities are leaving no stone unturned to make it a grand success.

While Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan and KSDB Chairman Prasad Abbayya have made umpteen visits to the venue and held a series of meetings with officials and Congress workers, the officials of the district administration and Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation are monitoring the arrangements through several committees that have been constituted for the purpose.

In all, 42,345 houses built by KSDB in various districts will be symbolically inaugurated and distributed by the Chief Minister at a function off Mantur Road where a huge pandal has been erected for the purpose.

The roads leading to the event venue have been spruced up and arterial roads and important junctions in the city are full of banners, buntings, posters and Congress flags.

As around two lakh people are expected to participate in the event, a huge pandal has been erected on 10.5 acres of land.

Considering the arrival of huge number of vehicles, parking arrangements have been made opposite the pandal. Cardboard cut-outs of prominent political leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramiah, D.K. Shivakumar, Zameer Ahmed, Prasad Abbayya, and others have been installed at the venue.

The Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissionerate has made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during the programme.

On Friday, Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar visited the venue to give last-minute instructions to police officials. He told presspersons that coordinated efforts are being made to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. Additional forces from other districts will be deployed as a precautionary measure, he said.

KPCC secretary and former NWKRTC Chairman Sandanand Danganavar said that as 1,600 buses are expected to bring people to the programme, six different parking lots have been earmarked.

For the convenience of the public, 24 LED screens have been set up. Arrangements have also been made for distributing food packets, water bottles and buttermilk packets.

Bus services hit

Meanwhile, in a press release, NWKRTC has said that bus services in the region are likely to be affected as 1,000 buses have been given on contract basis for facilitating transportation of people attending the event.