CM distributes house site pattas; social justice delivered

 Venkatapalem (Guntur dist)): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday formally launched the program of distribution of house site pattas to 50,793 poor women beneficiaries in the R-5 zone spread over Guntur and NTR districts. 

The Chief Minister also formally launched the program of handing over to the beneficiaries 5024 TIDCO houses constructed at Rs. 443.71 crores in the CRDA region. 

Addressing a mammoth public meeting of beneficiaries here on Friday before distributing the house site pattas, the Chief Minister said construction of houses in all 25 layouts will begin on July 8 coinciding with the Jayanti of his father and former Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy. In the next week, geo-tagging of all beneficiaries would be completed, he said.

The government will spend Rs. 2000cr for the construction of houses and providing infrastructure in 25 layouts benefiting 23, 762 poor women who got house site pattas in 11 layouts in the Guntur district and 27,031 women who received the pattas in 14 layouts in the NTR district. 

The day remains special not only in the State history but also in the history of the country as the TDP-backed farmers fought in vain to stop the distribution of house sites by creating legal hurdles and approaching even the Supreme Court saying the demography of the CRDA would be disturbed. 

“These are not just house site pattas, they are social justice instruments too,” he said and described the event as historical and unprecedented. 

Explaining the three options under which the houses would be constructed, he said under the first option, Government would transfer Rs. 1, 80,000 directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries who want to construct the dwelling units on their own. Under the second option, Government would transfer the labor expenses directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries after supplying cement, steel, and door frames, and under the third option, Government will fully take upon the responsibility of construction. 

In all options, sand would be provided free to the beneficiaries while quality steel, cement, and door frames would be supplied at subsidized rates as per the policy adopted in all Jagananna colonies across the State, he clarified.

The government would also arrange bank loans up to Rs. 35,000 each for all beneficiaries at 25 paise interest for expediting the construction, he said, adding the beneficiaries are free to choose the option. 

So far, house sites were given to 30, 75,000 poor women across the State, out of which 21 lakh women were sanctioned houses each worth Rs. 2. 5 lakh, he said, adding that the worth would go up to Rs. 5 or Rs. 10 lakh. This amounts to creating property worth Rs. 3 lakh crore on the whole, he said.

Speaking about the TIDCO houses, he said the government has been handing over the 300 square feet TIDCO houses just for Re 1 to 1, 43,000 beneficiaries with full rights while the TDP Government tried to exploit the beneficiaries by forcing them to pay Rs. 7.20 lakh per TIDCO flat in installments over several years. 

It amounts to cheating the beneficiaries, he remarked. 

Guntur District Collector M. Venugopala Reddy, Municipal Administration Minister A. Suresh, Social Welfare Minister M.4 Nagarjuna, Housing Minister J. Ramesh, and YSRCP Mangalagiri MLA A. Ramakrishna Reddy also addressed the public meeting. 

Some of the beneficiaries from Guntur and NTR districts also spoke praising the Government’s initiative.