Udupi: The Chairman of the Legislature Committee on Local Bodies and Panchayat Raj, K. Gopal Poojary, addressing a committee meeting said, “Recommendations to hike the limit of cost of construction for houses built under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation from the present Rs. 4.5 lakh per house to Rs. 10 lakh, will be considered.”

Poojary said currently the government was giving a subsidy of Rs. 1.2 lakh to each below the poverty line beneficiary to build a house if the total cost of construction did not exceed Rs. 4.5 lakh. But the cost of construction had gone up due to hike in the prices of cement and labour charges. Hence, the committee would recommend the State to increase the cost limit to Rs. 10 lakh, in order to enable beneficiaries to get a higher subsidy.

He said the committee had reviewed the implementation of programmes of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in Udupi district such as ‘Namma Grama – Namma Raste’, ‘Suvarna Gramodaya’, Multi Village Drinking Water Scheme, and housing under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation.

The committee had also visited the Maravanthe Gram Panchayat in Udupi district and appreciated the work of the gram panchayat in installing solar lamps, tax collection, provision of drinking water, and implementation of development works. The committee would recommend to the government to install solar lamps using Marvanthe as a model.