Latest news with #HousingandUrbanDevelopment
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Karnataka hikes housing scheme quota for minorities from 10% to 15%
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday (June 19, 2025) approved a proposal to increase the reservation from 10% to 15% for minorities under various State government housing schemes. Briefing the Cabinet decisions after the meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the move was based on the disproportionately high number of houseless individuals among minority communities in both urban and rural areas. Muslims form the bulk of the minority population in Karnataka. Norm in Centre The Law Minister pointed out that the Centre had issued guidelines and it had already provides 15% allocation for minorities, and Karnataka was following it. Minority communities have long been requesting the hike in quota in the housing schemes, he added. The decision will apply to all housing schemes implemented by different departments, including Housing and Urban Development, across the State. While the opposition BJP criticised it as 'appeasement politics', Mr. Patil said the decision showed the government's commitment to equitable housing. ''Housing for All' is the key slogan of the Congress government, and we are committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to a home,' he said. Many houseless individuals belong to downtrodden communities and minorities, and the decision to increase the quota reflects this ground reality, he said. 'The government is firm in its stand that all houseless individuals, regardless of their community, should be provided with housing,' Mr. Patil said. Defending the decision, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, 'There is a large urban population, and many minorities and poor people are part of it.' In contracts Thursday's decision was followed by the government's proposal to extend quota benefits for Muslims in contract allocations, indicating a bigger push for minorities in welfare initiatives. The State legislature passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed to provide a 4% quota for Muslims in government contracts of under ₹2 crore. The BJP legislators was strongly opposed the Bill. After returning it twice, the Governor has forwarded the Bill for President's assent.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Over 73K youth employed in 369 days: CM
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said his government has facilitated employment for 73,346 youths in just 369 days since taking office. Speaking at 'Nijukti Mela' (employment fair), where appointment letters were distributed to 964 newly recruited youths, mostly junior engineers, Majhi said, 'Our government is only one year and four days old. In this short span, we have appointed 73,346 youths — 28,346 in government departments and 45,000 in the private sector.' Underlining the importance of government jobs, Majhi said he and his ministers failed to bag government jobs and therefore opted for other professions like politics. However, the newly recruited youths are lucky to get absorbed in the government sector, he said. 'People have an obsession with government jobs. This is clearly shown in the Hindi film 'Nayak', where the heroine's father refuses to marry her off to a journalist and insists on a government servant. That reflects how highly people value government service,' Majhi told the gathering. Majhi said, 'Only 2 per cent of Odisha's population are in government jobs. That's why we are actively creating jobs in the private sector.' He said the State has finalised investments worth Rs 13 lakh crore, expected to generate 12.90 lakh private-sector jobs. 'Once these industries are set up, large number of jobs will be created for our youth,' he emphasised. Calling youths the 'pilots of Odisha's development chariot,' Majhi said, 'We are committed to channelling the energy, potential, and enthusiasm of the youth for the State's development and social welfare.' Of the 964 recruits, 907 are junior engineers who, he said, 'will contribute significantly to infrastructure and growth.' He expressed the hope that the newly recruited youths would work with honesty and dedication. 'Always remember, your actions and decisions at the government level must reflect public interest. You are servants of the people,' he said. Majhi said the government plans to recruit 1.5 lakh youths in the State service over the next five years. 'Around 65,000 posts will be filled in the first two years. Till date, 28,346 government posts have been filled,' he said, adding that the age limit for government jobs has been raised from 32 years to 42 years. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K C Patra, Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Housing and Urban Development Minister K C Mahapatra and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Nayak were also present on the occasion.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
73,346 youths employed in 369 days: Odisha CM Majhi
Bhubaneswar, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said his government has facilitated employment for 73,346 youths in just 369 days since taking office. Speaking at the 'Nijukti Mela' , where appointment letters were distributed to 964 newly recruited youths, mostly junior engineers, Majhi said, "Our government is only one year and four days old. In this short span, we have appointed 73,346 youths — 28,346 in government departments and 45,000 in the private sector." Underlining the importance of government jobs, Majhi said he and his ministers failed to bag government jobs and therefore opted for other professions like politics. However, the newly recruited youths are lucky to get absorbed in the government sector, he said. "People have an obsession with government jobs. This is clearly shown in the Hindi film 'Nayak', where the heroine's father refuses to marry her off to a journalist and insists on a government servant. That reflects how highly people value government service," Majhi told the gathering. Majhi added, "Only two per cent of Odisha's population are in government jobs. That's why we are actively creating jobs in the private sector." He said the state has finalised investments worth ₹13 lakh crore, expected to generate 12.90 lakh private-sector jobs. "Once these industries are set up, large numbers of jobs will be created for our youth," he emphasised. Calling youths the "pilots of Odisha's development chariot," Majhi said, "We are committed to channelling the energy, potential, and enthusiasm of the youth for the state's development and social welfare." Of the 964 recruits, 907 are junior engineers who, he said, "will contribute significantly to infrastructure and growth." He expressed hope that the newly recruited youths would work with honesty and dedication. "Always remember, your actions and decisions at the government level must reflect public interest. You are servants of the people," he told them. Majhi added that the government plans to recruit 1.5 lakh youths in the state service over the next five years. "Around 65,000 posts will be filled in the first two years. Till date, 28,346 government posts have been filled," he said, adding that the age limit for government jobs has been raised from 32 years to 42 years. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra, Works Minister Prithivi Raj Harichandan, Housing and Urban Development Minister KC Mohapatra and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Nayak were also present on the occasion.
Business Insider
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump wants to cut federal housing funds in half, and even Republicans are questioning it
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner kept repeating the same phrases to Congress in defense of President Donald Trump's proposal to cut the agency's budget by 51%. "It's time for a paradigm shift." "We have to refocus." "We want to be efficient and effective, not bloated and bureaucratic." Democrats on House and Senate appropriations subcommittees were outraged — and even some Republicans were skeptical. Turner was tasked with explaining what Trump's proposed $45 billion cut to HUD's funding would look like in practice. The agency would be among the hardest hit parts of the federal government under Trump's plan to eliminate $163 billion in federal spending. But the secretary offered little detail on plans for how his agency would continue serving millions of older, disabled, and low-income Americans, people struggling to recover from disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, and those experiencing homelessness. "The goal here is not to serve less Americans. The goal here is to serve Americans better," Turner said during his testimony before the House subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development on June 10. While Democratic lawmakers were particularly critical of Turner's approach and Trump's massive budget cut request, some Republicans also probed Turner for more detailed explanations he didn't provide. The hearings highlighted how the nation's major housing affordability challenges have become a bipartisan concern. "The federal government doesn't have all the answers, and the budget empowers collaboration with states and localities," HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett told Business Insider. Few details, lots of frustration During the House hearing, Republican Rep. David Joyce asked Turner how HUD plans to continue helping victims of disasters, like flooding and fires, if the agency slashes funding for the Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery program, as the budget proposes. The agency has long helped FEMA rebuild homes destroyed in natural disasters that lack sufficient insurance, as well as repair roads and bridges. In response, Turner insisted that HUD "will not allow disaster recovery and those that need assistance in disaster recovery to be lost on us" and that HUD is simply pursuing a "different way of distributing these funds." Joyce, who represents Northeast Ohio, wasn't satisfied. "Thank you, sir, that was a great answer, but it didn't demonstrate a plan. Do you have a plan?" the congressman responded. Turner ultimately conceded that the plan for supporting disaster victims "is forthcoming." Joyce ended the exchange by warning that the agency has a role to play. "The one thing I know is, you're right. Disasters come. All over the country, disasters come. And you need to be ready for them." Rep. Rutherford, a Florida Republican, pressed Turner on how states will help support homeownership in low-income communities when the president's budget proposes eliminating HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), a competitive grant program that Rutherford said has been successful in his district. "Everywhere that homeownership went up, violent crime went down," said Rutherford, a former sheriff. "How are we going to address this issue if we're doing away with SHOP?" Turner replied by saying that states can support homeownership programs if they see fit going forward, but didn't clarify where that funding would come from. Spokespeople for Rutherford and Joyce didn't immediately return BI's requests for comment. 'People will die' Democratic lawmakers expressed more direct frustration about the program cuts and lack of detail the secretary presented. "People will die," Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, told Turner of HUD's proposed cuts to homelessness services, including the elimination of the Housing for Persons with AIDS program. "If you just want to say we've got to cut these things because that's our plan, I'd respect you a lot more than telling us that you care about people as you put them on the street." Turner replied that the agency isn't just cutting funding but is "going to be more effective and more efficient." "How?" Quigley asked. "It's a new paradigm. It's a new way to do things," Turner replied. During Turner's testimony before the Senate on June 11, Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, who's made housing a key priority, urged Turner to reinstate a bipartisan program Schatz championed that incentivizes states and localities to cut red tape that hampers housing construction. "It's the most significant pro-housing deregulatory mechanism that we've passed," Schatz said. Turner didn't answer Schatz's question on the eliminated program, and simply said he's encouraging local leaders to find ways to cut regulations. But the president's budget isn't law. Government funding is set to run out in September, and Congress has the final say on what the federal budget looks like. The House hearing concluded with the chairwoman, Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice, suggesting that Turner hasn't had enough time in the few months he's been in office to nail down more specifics about where HUD funding will go and how programs will be reformed. "Is it safe to say that you have a framework for a plan that you want to move forward, but maybe not all of the nuts and bolts that you need to be able to present those details?" Bice asked Turner. "Yes, ma'am," Turner replied.
Hans India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
State moving towards Viksit Odisha: Min
Dhenkanal: The State under Mohan Charan Majhi-led government is moving towards Viksit Odisha 2036, said Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra. Eleven years of performance of Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and one year of performance of Majhi-led government in the State have been widely accepted by the people, he said. Speaking at a press meet at BJP district office here on Wednesday, Mahapatra said the State government is marching ahead because people's representatives are now taking the lead in taking decisions unlike the previous government in which one bureaucrat was taking decisions. Now the State government is ready to implement Mukhya Mantri Sahari Yojana with expansion of NAC, Municipality and Metro areas, he said. The minister said the Chief Minister has resolved 86 per cent of people's grievances in the grievance cell. 'We have recently opened a grievance cell in Sambalpur,' Mahapatra said. The previous government was outsourcing jobs whereas the present State government is appointing regular employees, he said. District BJP president Rasa Bihari Behera, Dhenkanal Municipality chairperson Jayanti Patra and senior BJP leaders were present.
