Behind the Scenes: The Relentless Drive of Karnataka's Housing Team for Hubballi's Landmark PMAY Distribution Triumph

 

Hubballi, Karnataka, January 24, 2026 – As the sun dipped low over the sprawling 10.5-acre pandal on Mantur Road, casting long shadows on the meticulously arranged seating for over 1.3 lakh attendees, the air buzzed with a palpable sense of culmination. It was the eve of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's mega housing distribution event – a state-level spectacle poised to symbolically hand over keys to 42,345 homes built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB). But beneath the grandeur of LED screens, saffron-and-green banners, and the rhythmic chants of Congress volunteers, lay months of grueling toil by a dedicated team of ministers and officials. At the forefront: Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan and KSDB Chairman Prasad Abbayya, whose hands-on grit turned logistical labyrinths into a seamless showcase of welfare delivery. This report uncovers the sweat-soaked saga of their efforts, from dawn patrols to midnight huddles, ensuring the event – and the promise it represents – stands as a beacon for Karnataka's urban poor.

The seeds of this mega event were sown in the sweltering summer of 2025, when the Siddaramaiah government, fresh from its guarantee schemes, zeroed in on PMAY as a flagship to combat urban homelessness. Of the 42,345 units statewide, a symbolic cluster of 1,008 homes in Hubballi itself – funded through the Chief Minister's special grants and central PMAY allocations – became the event's emotional core. Yet, transforming blueprint into bricks-and-mortar reality demanded more than policy papers; it required a war-room ethos from the ministerial brigade.

Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, a fiery orator with a reputation for bulldozing bureaucratic red tape, emerged as the event's unyielding quarterback. Appointed Housing Minister in May 2023, Khan didn't just oversee; he immersed. "From site selection to the last nail in the pandal, we've left no stone unturned," Khan declared during a late-night briefing on January 23, his voice hoarse from back-to-back reviews. Sources close to the minister reveal he clocked over 200 site visits across Karnataka since July 2025, personally inspecting construction progress in Hubballi-Dharwad alone on no fewer than 15 occasions. These weren't ceremonial walkabouts: Khan rolled up his sleeves, haggling with contractors over delays caused by monsoon floods and coordinating with the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation for land clearances that shaved weeks off timelines.

Complementing Khan's high-octane oversight was MLA Prasad Abbayya, the KSDB Chairman whose dual role as Hubballi East legislator infused the project with grassroots pulse. A former engineer turned politician, Abbayya's forte lay in the nitty-gritty: ensuring beneficiary lists were airtight, averting encroachments, and mobilizing local self-help groups for community buy-in. "This isn't just about handing keys; it's about handing dignity," Abbayya told reporters on January 22, after a 14-hour day that began at 6 a.m. with soil tests for the venue's stability. Under his stewardship, the KSDB fast-tracked environmental clearances for the 1,008 local units, incorporating eco-friendly features like rainwater harvesting – a nod to sustainable urbanism amid Hubballi's water woes. Abbayya's team, comprising 50 engineers and 200 laborers, worked round-the-clock shifts, often extending into festivals like Diwali, to meet the December 2025 deadline.

Together, the duo formed a formidable tag-team, holding over 40 joint review meetings since October 2025. These sessions, often stretching past midnight at the Vidhana Soudha or impromptu roadside halts, dissected everything from cement quality to crowd-flow simulations. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, while jetting between Bengaluru and Davos, chipped in virtually, greenlighting budgets that ballooned to ₹250 crore for the Hubballi leg alone. "Zameer and Prasad have been the engine; we've just fueled it," Shivakumar quipped in a video message to volunteers.

Hubballi's event wasn't merely a distribution; it was an operational behemoth, dwarfing even the 2023 Chhatra Vasthi Yojana rollout. With an expected footfall of two lakh – including 50,000 from neighboring districts – the team confronted a hydra of challenges: traffic snarls in a city notorious for its narrow bylanes, security for high-profile guests like AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, and the optics of inclusivity amid BJP's parallel protests.

The preparations kicked into hyperdrive post-New Year. Khan and Abbayya spearheaded a "zero-defect" protocol, deploying 24 LED screens across the venue for live feeds – a Khan brainchild to ensure remote beneficiaries felt the moment. Parking? Six color-coded lots for 1,600 buses, marshaled by 300 traffic wardens, with shuttle services from railway stations. Food and hydration? Packets of millet laddus, water bottles, and spiced buttermilk for 1.3 lakh, sourced from women self-help groups to empower local economies – Abbayya's pet initiative.

Security was no afterthought. The Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissionerate, bolstered by 1,500 personnel from Belagavi and Vijayapura, ran mock drills thrice weekly, with Khan personally briefing Commissioner Renukaradhya on January 21. "We've simulated every scenario, from stampedes to sabotage," Khan confided, alluding to the BJP's recent rally disruptions. Meanwhile, Abbayya's door-to-door campaigns in 45 Hubballi slums ensured 95% beneficiary turnout, with special ramps and sign-language interpreters for the differently-abled.

| Preparation Milestone | Key Contributor | Timeline & Effort Highlights |

| Venue Setup (10.5-acre pandal) | Prasad Abbayya | Nov 2025–Jan 2026: 50 workers, 24/7 shifts; soil fortification against rains. 

| Beneficiary Verification | Zameer Ahmed Khan | Oct–Dec 2025: 15 field audits; digitized Aadhaar-linked lists to curb ghost entries. 

| Transport Logistics (1,000 buses) | Joint Team | Jan 20–24: Route mapping with NWKRTC; free rides for 50,000 attendees. 

| Amenities (Food, Water, Screens) | Abbayya's Local Committees | Jan 15–23: Sourced from 200 SHGs; 24 LEDs installed in 48 hours. 

| Security & Protocol | Khan's Ministerial Coordination | Jan 18–24: 40 meetings; integrated with central PMAY observers. 

Beyond blueprints, the team's hard yakka etched personal tales. Take Fatima Bi, a 55-year-old widow from Akshay Colony, whose PMAY home – complete with solar panels – was fast-tracked after Abbayya's intervention when her file snagged on paperwork. "The MLA saab visited twice, sat with us over chai, and fixed it," she recounted, clutching her invite. Khan, meanwhile, rallied corporate sponsors for post-event skill-training tie-ups, envisioning the homes as launchpads for livelihoods.

Volunteers, too, sing praises. "Minister saheb was here at 5 a.m. yesterday, adjusting banners himself," shared Congress worker Sunita Patil, who coordinated the 500-strong welcome brigade. These anecdotes underscore a philosophy Khan hammered home: "Success isn't in speeches; it's in the sweat of execution."

As the clock ticked toward the January 24 dawn kickoff – with Siddaramaiah set to address the dais alongside Kharge – the event loomed as vindication for the Congress's welfare blitz. Critics, including BJP's Mahesh Tenginakai, have carped about "credit-grabbing," but metrics speak louder: 42,345 families on the cusp of ownership, a 30% surge in PMAY completions from 2024. For Khan and Abbayya, whose combined 18-hour workdays blurred into a blur of dust and determination, it's personal. "We've poured our souls into this," Abbayya reflected, surveying the twinkling venue lights. "For every family that sleeps under a roof tonight, the fatigue fades."