From correspondents in Uttar Pradesh, India, 12:31 AM IST

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Friday approved construction of over 100,000 houses for people living below the poverty line, officials said Friday.

'Under the Shri Kanshi Ramji Urban Poor Housing Scheme, as many as 101,000 houses would be provided free of cost to the urban poor comprising destitutes, widows and handicapped across the state,' officials added.

An amount of Rs.5 billion has been earmarked for the ambitious housing project, officials said.

For allotting the houses, the state government has fixed 23 percent quota for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, 27 percent for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 50 percent for the general category, officials added.

Districts magistrates have been asked to monitor the construction of the houses.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)