VIJAYAWADA: The Jagananna Sampoorna Gruha Hakku (One-Time Settlement scheme) rolled out by the State government to provide rights for the houses constructed under various government schemes to the beneficiaries is receiving good response. As per records, over 9.60 lakh beneficiaries availed the scheme as on February 10 and it is expected to increase in the days to come. The scheme was launched on December 21, 2021.
Speaking to TNIE, Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain said out of the total 9.60 lakh beneficiaries, 3.20 lakh had taken loans and the remaining 6.40 lakh have no housing loans.
Permanent registered documents have been issued to 3.30 lakh housing beneficiaries, he said, adding the process will be expedited to clear pendency. The number of beneficiaries is expected to go up as the government has extended the scheme up to Diwali and provided the opportunity to the beneficiaries to pay the amount in two installments.
Asked about the criticism that the government was forcing the beneficiaries to opt for the OTS scheme, the Special Chief Secretary said as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, they are sensitising the beneficiaries on the benefits of the scheme.
Volunteers and staff of Village/Ward Secretariat are visiting every beneficiary. However, it is up to the beneficiary to take a final call, he said, adding that they may not get such a chance in future.
Though the beneficiaries constructed houses for the last three to four decades under various government housing schemes either by availing loans from the government or building on their own, they did not have any right over the houses despite staying there for decades as they were not given the registered documents. Thus, the beneficiaries, despite staying in their houses, could not sell/lease /mortgage or gift it to their kin in the absence of a registered document.
Under the OTS, the government provided an opportunity to the beneficiaries to get all the rights on their houses by paying Rs 10,000 in rural areas, Rs 15,000 in municipalities and Rs 20,000 in municipal corporations, which in turn will waive all the loans availed for construction of houses along with interest and provide them the registered document without charging any registration fee.
For those constructed houses without any loan, the government issues registered documents to the beneficiaries at a nominal cost of Rs 10.