HYDERABAD: Only 660 of the nearly 3,800 Rajiv Swagruha flats in Pocharam, Bandlaguda and Jawaharnagar in Hyderabad are occupied till date. As they were not occupied by the applicants - who cited distance from the city, escalation of prices and inordinate delay in completion of construction as reasons - the State government in 2017 decided to give away flats to its employees at ‘reasonable rates’.
Now that the three locations are pipped to be part of the city and are poised to be given away at reasonable rates, the earlier applicants who were allotted the flats have come back asking the flats be re-allotted to them.
They were allotted flats in 2007 for Rs 9 lakh for 1 BHK, Rs 13 lakh for 2 BHK flats and Rs 25-30 lakh for 3 BHK flats on paying an advance of Rs 5,000. As of today, however, the prices have inflated by around Rs 2-3 lakh, which is why they refused to occupy the flats.
But with the government offering to give them away at lesser rates, they expect them to reduce by Rs 5-6 lakh. The applicants approached the High Court arguing that it was unfair of the State to give away the flats at lesser rates to its employees.
The ambitious housing scheme under the Rajiv Swagruha aimed to provide affordable housing to the middle-class and the project was launched in erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. A senior official from TRSCL said: “We have received orders from the state regarding allotment of flats to government employees. We are awaiting the official date for allotment.”