VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will set the foundation stone for the mega housing programme under Navaratnalu Pedalandariki Illu on Monday, July 24, at Krishnayapalem in Amaravati. This will fulfil his long-cherished wish of providing houses to 50,000 people in R-5 Zone of Amaravati.
The mega housing programme faced many hurdles, as pro-Amaravati farmers lodged petitions in courts, claiming demographic imbalance due to housing colonies for poor. The government fought a long battle to get the primary permission.
Jagan Mohan Reddy emphasised, “Amaravati belongs to everyone, not just the rich. These are not just houses, but instruments of social justice. Our government fought a legal battle in the Supreme Court for the poor and we won. Telugu Desam-backed farmers fought in vain to stop distribution of house sites by creating legal hurdles. They even approached the Supreme Court saying demography of the CRDA will be disturbed. These houses are worth ₹7–10 lakh. They are being registered in the name of my sisters. Social justice has finally been delivered. From now on, Amaravati will belong to all.”
The CM aims to complete the houses in Amaravati by Sankranti 2024 spending ₹2,000 crore. Houses will be constructed and infrastructure provided in 25 layouts. 23,762 poor women have got the house site pattas in 11 layouts of Guntur district. 27,031 women have received the pattas in 14 layouts of NTR district. Construction of houses has been sanctioned incurring a total estimated cost of ₹1,081.39 crore, with the unit cost of a house being ₹2.30 lakh.
Beneficiary Eepuri Jeevaratnam's house has been built as a model house in Krishnayapalem layout within three days using shear wall technology. Following the appreciation it received, the government has decided to build as many houses as possible by adopting the shear wall method. 36 labour agencies have been identified to construct 24,200 houses using this method. Rest of the houses will be built conventionally. Electricity and water supply lines, and approach roads are being laid at a cost of ₹365.91 crore.
In the layouts, ₹72.06 crore have been earmarked for infrastructure facilities like schools, health centres, Anganwadis and digital libraries.
Jeevaratnam said, “I am working as a volunteer. My husband is an agricultural labourer. We have been living in a rented house for the past 13 years. I applied for a house twice during the previous government but was disappointed. This time, I got both the plot and house. My house has been built as a model house. I am happy beyond words. CM Jagan Mohan Reddy has been by my side like a sibling. While the government is giving us houses, some are filing cases in courts. When we hear such news, we are afraid of losing our homes.”
Housing minister Jogi Ramesh said all arrangements are progressing on a war footing. The Chief Minister will lay the foundation for the mega housing programme on Monday in the R-5 Zone of Amaravati. “It is a victory for the poor,” he maintained.
Interestingly 45,101 beneficiaries are going to get houses for free of cost after they choose option 3, under which AP government will construct the houses bearing the entire expenditure.
