HC Seeks Report on 2BHK House Construction, Allotments

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the state government, housing department and R&B department to submit a fresh status report on the allotment and distribution of 2BHK houses, under the Dignity Housing Scheme, to beneficiaries across the state.

The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Tadakamalla Vinod Kumar, dealing with a 2021 PIL filed by Nallu Indrasena Reddy, a former MP and MLA of the BJP, sought the report from the state government within three weeks.

In the PIL, the senior BJP leader alleged that the Telangana state government was not allotting a lakh 2BHK houses despite completing their construction over a year ago. 

The court had previously also sought a status report. Upon the court order, Srinivas Raju, TS R&B department secretary, filed a six-page counter.

On Thursday, Harender Pershad, special counsel to the government, informed the court that the construction of 1,43,554 double-bedroom houses was complete in all aspects and a committee constituted to select eligible beneficiaries for allotment. So far, 65,538 double-bedroom house units have been allotted to the eligible beneficiaries in various districts of the Telangana state, he informed the court. 

He further submitted that so far, the administrative sanction was accorded for an amount of '1,424.24 crore in total, for providing the basic civic amenities for 1,84,202 houses and an expenditure to a tune of '619.98 crore has been incurred on providing infrastructure. After the completion of the balance infrastructure works, the houses would be allotted.

Counsel said that a special drive was taken up for allotting houses to BPL beneficiaries in the GHMC area, under which 65,458 allotments were made in three months.

Counsel for the petitioner disputed the contention of the government’s counsel because there was no double-bedroom house constructed and allotted. The bench directed the counsel for the petitioner to file an affidavit with his contention. 

Government counsel sought three weeks to file an updated status report on the construction and allotment of the houses.