Karnataka looks to raise revenue by selling government land

The state government authorised the auctioning of 12,000 corner sites in the state capital by the Bangalore Development Authority in a bid to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced on Monday a raft of measures to help resource mobilisation in the face of the state’s “financial troubles” amid the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

Karnataka has also decided to use the Rs 1,000-crore available for Bengaluru-based Rajiv Gandhi Health University Health Sciences to upgrade its medical college hospitals. (ANI)

The state government authorised the auctioning of 12,000 corner sites in the state capital by the Bangalore Development Authority in a bid to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore. Also, all corner and vacant sites, under the jurisdiction of all urban development authorities across the state, would be auctioned for additional resource mobilisation.

The government has lost around Rs 2,500 crore in revenue after liquor sales were stopped since March 24 because of the lockdown restrictions, besides crores being lost from other key sectors. The government will take a call on Tuesday, whether it should open liquor stores in the state to tide over the revenue shortfall.

The authorities have also decided to amend the law governing permission to allow sites in private and co-operative housing societies. Hundreds of societies are waiting for approval from the government for releasing their sites. Yeddyurappa, however, said that the auction of government-owned sites would be done only if they fetch a “good price”.

Karnataka has also decided to use the Rs 1,000-crore available for Bengaluru-based Rajiv Gandhi Health University Health Sciences to upgrade its medical college hospitals.

The state would continue to distribute free milk to the poor in a bid to help the dairy farmers and the needy.

Yediyurappa also announced a Rs 45-crore compensation package to farmers of Raichur and Koppa, who lost their paddy crop due to a hailstorm a few weeks ago. The CM appealed to sugar factory owners to clear Rs 2,834 crore that they owe to the farmers across 11 districts and warned strict action if they failed to make the payments soon.

Karnataka has reported 15 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total count to 247. The authorities said that there were six Covid-19 related deaths so far and 60 have been discharged from hospitals after they recovered. Of the remaining 181 Covid-19 positive cases, 177 are housed in isolation centres of designated hospitals and four patients are undergoing treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Bengaluru has reported 77 Covid-19 positive cases, Mysuru (48) and Belgavi (17) and are among the areas in the state with a maximum number of people infected by SARS-CoV-2, which causes the viral disease