VIZIANAGARAM: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday unveiled the pylon for YSR Jagananna Colony at Gunkalam, the largest house site layout in the State under Pedalandariki Illu (houses for poor) scheme
Gunkalam layout, spreads to an extent of 397 acres, has 12,301 plots. “Gunkalam will become a Nagar Panchayat after completion of the construction of houses,’’ the Chief Minister said, adding that apart from basic amenities such as roads, drinking water and electricity, it will have facilities ranging from primary health centre, police station, parks, libraries, high schools, primary schools, RBKs, village health clinics, burial grounds, solid waste treatment plant, shopping complexes, integrated administrative complex, ATMs, banks and others. “We are not just constructing houses, but building towns for the future,’’ he said. “The market value of the plot in Gunkalam is Rs 3 lakh now and it will increase to Rs 6-7 lakhs after completing the construction of houses and other basic infrastructure. We are creating an asset worth Rs 6-7 lakh to each beneficiary,’’ Jagan pointed out, adding that these houses are being given at free of cost.
Addressing a public meeting, the Chief Minister stated that the government has fulfilled 95 per cent of the poll promises. “Around 30.75 lakh beneficiaries have been identified across the State. As many as 28.30 lakh houses will be constructed on YSR Jagananna layouts in two phases and another 2.62 lakh will get TIDCO flats,” he said. Coming down heavily on Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu and his “associates”, the Chief Minister accused them of stalling distribution of 54,000 house pattas to the poor in Amaravati by moving court citing “demographical imbalance”.
“The distribution of 1.8 lakh house sites in Visakhapatnam was stopped by Naidu’s close aide by filing a petition in the High Court. Petitions were also filed in the High Court opposing house patta distribution in Rajahmundry and Pulivendula constituency,’’ he said and added that 3.7 lakh beneficiaries did not get house sites due to the Opposition. Citing the 44th amendment of the Constitution of India in 1978, the Chief Minister said that the Constitution has given a legal right for property, but today it is sad to see the Opposition is stalling it when the government is trying to provide such a legal right to the poor. Of the 28.30 lakh houses, 15.60 lakh houses will be constructed in the first phase, while the basic infrastructure will be developed at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore and the remaining 12.70 lakh houses will be taken up from next year.
Only 1 opts for Naidu scheme
Jagan said that the government has been spending Rs 9,500 crore for completing 2.62 lakh TIDCO houses. During the campaign asking the beneficiaries of TIDCO houses to choose between Naidu’s and Jagan’s housing schemes, out of 1.43 lakh, only one person opted for Naidu’s scheme, under which the beneficiary has to pay Rs 3 lakh, with monthly instalments of Rs 3,000 for 20 years totalling the amount to Rs 7 lakh. For the remaining, who chose Jagan’s scheme, the government will allocate the 300 sqft houses to the beneficiaries by taking just one rupee. The remaining 365 and 430 sqft houses will be given at 50 per cent subsidy. Jagan said the works of Salur Tribal University, Vizianagaram Medical College are in active phase, while the works of irrigation projects like Thotapalli reservoir, Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti, Ramuduvalasa will begin soon.