VIJAYAWADA: Alleging that the Opposition TDP and its chief N Chandrababu Naidu are trying to create hurdles in the implementation of the government’s flagship programme ‘Pedalandariki Illu,’ Advisor to the State government (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Monday, October 11, 2021, said the government would approach a division bench of the High Court to get the stay imposed by a single judge on the scheme vacated. Speaking to the media, he said that the TDP leaders were playing cheap politics and obstructing the housing scheme with “sheer jealousy and unrest”.
Sajjala clarified that the government is not violating any rules and stated that the entire housing project meets the norms of National Building Code (NBC). Drawing comparison with the previous governments, he said that the plinth area of Indiramma houses was 215 sq ft, while during TDP rule it was only 224 sq ft, but the current government has been constructing houses in 340 sq ft. “As per the NBC, the minimum plinth area should be 221.9 sq ft. The State government, however, is constructing houses in more than the minimum plinth area,’’ he pointed out.
With regard to house sites, Sajjala said the government was providing house sites of 31.72 sq mt, whereas in other states like Arunachal Pradesh is providing house sites of only 25 sq mt. In Uttar Pradesh, it is 27.1 sqmt and in Odisha it is 28.07 sq mt, Tamil Nadu is giving 28.05 sq mt, Jharkhand 28.42 sq mt and Jammu Kashmir is providing 29.5 sq mt as house sites for the poor.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken the initiative as a mission to fulfil the dreams of the poor in owning a house and started the construction of 15.6 lakh houses duly meeting all the required standards.
He said the previous TDP government had mooted construction of houses in just 220-300 sqft under TIDCO project which is a three storey building.
“Although the State government is constructing independent houses in 340 sq ft, the opposition has been stalling the project citing environmental impact,’’ he said and questioned Naidu as to why he did not speak on environmental impact during his term while he has been constructing houses in much lower plinth area and slammed him for playing “cheap politics using courts”.