VIJAYAWADA: Launching the prestigious ‘YSR Jagananna Illa Pattalu’ at Komaragiri village in Kothapalle mandal of East Godavari district on Friday, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the scheme will help strengthen the State economy by generating lakhs of job opportunities in the construction sector, besides providing 30,75,755 house sites and 28.3 lakh houses to the poor women beneficiaries.
Describing ‘Illa Pattalu’ as a housing festival being celebrated across the State for 15 days, he said it will bring smile on the faces of lakhs of people. “What more can I ask God for?” he said.
Expressing his happiness over fulfilment of one more promise made in the YSRC election manifesto, Jagan said the housing scheme will be implemented in two phases at an estimated cost of `50,940 crore. “Today, apart from distributing house site pattas, construction of 15.6 lakh houses was also taken up in the first phase of the scheme. Sale deeds of 2.62 lakh TIDCO flats will also be given to beneficiaries,” he said.
Describing the 17,005 layouts (Jagananna Housing Colonies), which will come up across the State as part of the scheme, as self-sufficient villages, he said basic infrastructure like roads, drainage, drinking water, YSR Janata Bazaars, YSR clinics, bus stands, anganwadis, schools, function halls, community halls, parks and others will be developed.
“During my 3,648 km padayatra, I saw the plight of people without own houses. Spending 35-40 per cent of their monthly income on house rent itself is a big burden on them. Hence, I decided to change it all and Pedalandariki Illu became part of Navaratnalu,” he said.
Stating that his party’s election manifesto is just two pages unlike that of other parties containing 650 to 1,000 pages, Jagan reiterated his commitment to fulfil each and every election promise.
“It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out. Nearly one fourth of the State population of 4.95 crore stands to benefit from the housing scheme,” he said.
Showing the model house of the housing scheme constructed near the meeting venue, he said each house will have a bedroom, a living room, kitchen, veranda, synthetic water tank, two fans, two tube lights, two LED lights, all free. Further, 13 lakh saplings will be planted in the layouts for green cover andaesthetic look, he added.
The beneficiaries will be given a say in the construction of their house. The government is offering three options, one to construct it as per the model unit, second to let them construct their own house with payment from the government as and when a certain level of construction is completed and third to get it constructed by the government. “The scheme will be implemented in a transparent manner. A social audit will also be held to ascertain the authenticity. The house sites will be registered in the name of women beneficiaries and for their financial needs they may sell or mortgage them after five years,” he said.
Jagan said if not for the Opposition provoked legal hurdles, the registration of house sites would have been done on the spot. Now, they are issuing D form pattas and taking measures to overcome legal hurdles. “We will go to the Supreme Court, if needed to clear the legal hurdles,” he asserted.
Blaming the TDP for the delay in distribution of house site pattas, he said they first wanted to launch the programme on Ugadi, but it was postponed to Srirama Navami, then to BR Ambekar Jayanti, YSR Jayanti and Gandhi Jayanti. “Unable to digest the benefit to the poor, they (TDP) have created problems in the form of legal cases and stay orders,” he said.
Lashing out at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for encouraging filing of petitions in the court to deny house sites to 54,000 poor people in Amaravati citing demographic imbalance, the Chief Minister said he was shocked over the reason.
“Don’t they want the poor to live in the capital region. A capital is an amalgamation of all sections from every community, caste, region and religion,” he said, adding that such petitions have prevented 3.74 lakh poor beneficiaries (10 per cent of the total) from getting the house sites.
When a survey was taken up to seek public opinion on Jagan’s housing scheme, where beneficiaries of 300 sq ft house need to pay just `1. Under Naidu’s scheme, they need to shell out `7.2 lakh over 20 years. Out of 1.43 lakh beneficiaries covered as part of the survey, only one had opted for Naidu’s scheme and he will be given what he asked for, he said.
Jagan said 50 per cent of the down payment for the remaining two types (365 sq ft and 430 sq ft) houses will be borne by the State government and the entire TIDCO project will be completed in the next two and half years. “Housing schemes generate employment for about 30 trades in the construction sector. Lakhs of people stand to benefit from the mega housing project,” he asserted.
17K layouts to come up in State
As many as 17,005 layouts (Jagananna Housing Colonies) will come up across the State as part of Pedalandariki Illu. The colonies will be developed as self-sufficient villages with all basic infrastructure