Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara has announced that the state plans to distribute free 30×40-foot residential plots to 1.5 million beneficiaries by December, while also saying that an order on restoring the Old Pension Scheme for government employees will be issued soon.
Speaking at events in Tumakuru district on Saturday, Parameshwara said the government had decided to identify beneficiaries for the housing plots through gram sabhas and meetings chaired by local legislators. He said financial assistance would be provided later to help beneficiaries construct houses.
The announcement was made at the launch of the ‘Prajaseve’ campaign organised by the taluk administration in Gubbi. According to the deputy chief minister, the state has decided to distribute between 4,000 and 5,000 plots in each taluk. Officials have also been instructed to identify at least 50,000 plots in each district.
Parameshwara said the proposed plots would measure 30×40 feet and would be allotted free of cost. The statement did not specify the total land area involved, the locations of the plots, the estimated cost of the programme, or the criteria that applicants must meet beyond the proposed selection process through local administrative and elected bodies.
The beneficiary selection process is expected to involve gram sabhas and meetings chaired by legislators. The deputy chief minister did not provide a detailed implementation schedule for land identification, allotment, registration or the release of housing assistance. These details will determine how quickly the announced target can move from identification to actual possession and construction.
The housing announcement came alongside a separate statement on the Old Pension Scheme, a long-standing demand from government employees, including teachers. Speaking at a Teachers’ Day event in Tumakuru, Parameshwara said the state government was committed to scrapping the New Pension Scheme and introducing the earlier system.
He said he had discussed the issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and that a decision would be announced shortly. According to Parameshwara, the demand had been raised by teachers’ organisations before the 2023 Assembly election and was subsequently included in the ruling party’s manifesto. He said implementation had been delayed by three years because of various reasons.
Parameshwara also said the decision was being considered despite financial constraints and would benefit teachers and other government employees. The statement did not provide details of the proposed order, its effective date, the categories of employees covered, or the financial implications for the state.
For the residential plot programme, the next formal steps are the identification of land, preparation of beneficiary lists and the conduct of gram sabha and legislator-led meetings. The deputy chief minister said the target was to complete distribution to 1.5 million beneficiaries by December.
