VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to take strict action against those who are spreading malicious propaganda on the Jagananna Sampoorna Gruha Hakku (One-Time Settlement) Scheme.
At a meeting with the CMO officials on Wednesday, he instructed them to clarify beneficiaries’ doubts over the OTS scheme and clearly explain its benefits, including details of their loans, and interest, which are being waived off through registration of documents. The scheme will benefit lakhs of poor people in the State by providing them legal rights on their properties, he said.
This comes a day after a panchayat secretary was placed under suspension for issuing a circular directing village volunteers to withhold the social security pension to beneficiaries, who have not paid Rs 10,000 under the OTS scheme.
Addressing a press conference later in the day, Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain said the government is going to waive close to Rs 10,000 crore of beneficiaries availing the OTS scheme. He said there are about 39 lakh people who constructed houses after getting loans from the housing corporation. Their original documents are with the corporation as they were not able to repay the loans. “As a result, they are not able to sell, mortgage or gift their properties,’’ he said.
In the interest of a large number of beneficiaries, the government has come up with the OTS scheme under which the beneficiaries can clear their outstanding loans by paying a nominal amount and get a registered title deed. After getting the registration document, they can sell, mortgage, gift and lease their properties, he said. Further, there will be no burden on the beneficiaries as the government has waived off registration fee, stamp duty and user charges.
‘People are free to avail OTS scheme’
Apart from this, registration facility has been made available at 15,000 odd village/ward secretariats in the State. Orders have also been issued authorising secretaries of village/ ward secretariats to act as registration officers. Stating that the OTS scheme is not a new one and it was in force from 2000 to 2014, he said only interest on the principal amount was waived during that time and documents of those who did not clear the principal amount remained with the corporation.
“In 2016, the housing corporation board meeting adopted a resolution and sent it to the government to roll out the OTS scheme. Though the resolution was sent four times, it could not be implemented because of the queries raised by the previous government,’’ he said. Asserting that the present government came up with a better scheme, Jain said it is voluntary and beneficiaries are free to take a decision.
“We are not forcing anyone to avail the OTS scheme, which has a lot of benefits,” he averred. Stating that the scheme evoked a good response from people in several districts, he made it clear that there is no link between the OTS scheme and other welfare schemes.
Jagan to tour flood-hit districts from today
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will tour the flood-hit areas in Kadapa, Chittoor and Nellore districts for two-days from Thursday. He will first visit Mandapalle village in Kadapa district. From there, Jagan will proceed to Pulapattur village and inspect the severely damaged houses and other properties in Cheyyeru deluge. He will also visit relief centres and interact with the flood-affected people. Later, he will go to Chittoor district