Belgaum: The state government will construct 12 lakh houses in the next five years in an attempt to develop a slumfree Karnataka, said housing minister M.H. Ambareesh. About 2.5 lakh houses will be constructed every year by the government to achieve its target, he said.

At a press conference in Belgaum on Tuesday, Mr Ambareesh said the government's mega housing projects will help homeless, poor people who are backward— economically and socially.

He said, the government has chosen nine cities including Belgaum to implement the Slum Development Project. An estimated Rs 177 crore will be spent on the development of three slums in Belgaum city. A satellite township for Belgaum is also on the anvil.

The government is also planning to increase the subsidy for construction of houses for the weaker sections from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh.

Housing projects like Basava, Ambedkar, Vajpayee and Indira Awas Yojana will be covered under the subsidy schemes.

The minister said, the construction of houses had been slow in Belgaum due to various reasons. Shortly, an alternative would be worked out to speed up the projects, the minister added.