Srikakulam among top 3 in housing for poor: Dharmana

VISAKHAPATNAM: Revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao on Saturday said Srikakulam is in third place in all districts of the state in the construction of houses for the poor.

Prasada Rao, along with municipal administration minister Adimulapu Suresh, handed over Tidco houses to beneficiaries at a function held in Patrunivalasa in the Srikakulam district on Saturday. Tidco managing director Ch. Sridhar and Srikakulam collector Srikesh Lathkar were present.

After distributing the houses, the revenue minister said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has always wished that poor must become happier. Houses have been given to them to make them comfortable and happy. He said Tidco housing colonies have all basic infrastructure, like drainage, drinking water and power connection.

Prasada Rao said a huge housing project with 12,000 houses will be built for the beneficiaries in Peddapadu, Patrunivalasa, Chaparam and Killipalem. These houses will be allotted through a transparent lottery system. At Patrunivalasa within Srikakulam municipal limits, 1,280 flats are being developed at a cost of ₹105.62 crores.

Speaking on the occasion, minister Suresh said Chief Minister wishes that beneficiaries be charged only a rupee for registration of their houses. He said the district will be further developed with commissioning of Mulapeta Port and the Bhogapuram International Airport.

Tidco chairman Jammana Prasad said Tidco houses have been built in 25 towns. 50,000 of the houses have so far been handed over to the beneficiaries. He said ₹16 crore are being spent to bring water from Nagavali River through a pipeline.