VIJAYAWADA: Even as the opposition is criticising the State government for constructing just five houses based on a reply given by the Centre in Parliament, the Andhra Pradesh Housing Department officials have maintained that the housing programme is going on at brisk pace and construction of 2.04 lakh houses have been completed under the first phase of the flagship programme ‘Navaratnalu - Pedalandariki Illu’. Grounding of all the targeted number of houses has been done and construction of 5.50 lakh houses are at various stages, they revealed.
Stating that the State government is committed to provide permanent houses to all the eligible people in the State in saturation mode, a housing department official informed that it has been decided to construct 30.20 lakh houses by December, 2023.
“House sites have been distributed in 17,005 layouts (YSR Jagananna Colonies) and temporary godowns are being set up under critical infrastructure in bigger layouts to make the construction material available at the beneficiary’s doorstep. Works of more than 70 godowns are in progress,” an official told TNIE, and asserted that the government is also committed to developing the layouts by providing all the necessary infrastructure with an outlay of more than Rs 32,909 crore in phase-I and II.
Welcome arches will also be constructed in 1,127 Jagananna layouts at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore. Stating that the government is taking all the required initiatives for completing the construction of houses within the stipulated time, the official said 5 MTs of cement is being supplied to each beneficiary at a lesser price.