VIJAYAWADA: It has been 20 years since the residents living along the canal bunds in the city were relocated to the outskirts and allocated houses within the limits of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation under VAMBAY (Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana) and JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission).
Despite clearing the bank loans to take up construction of houses, the government is yet to hand over house title deeds to them and complete the registration process, D Ratna Kumari of Vambay Colony rued. Registrations were conducted for about 15 colonies from Ajit Singh Nagar to Kandrika since the 1960s when the Left parties held power in the civic body.
However, residents in Vambay Colony and New RR Pet do not possess rights over their houses currently. M Prabhudas of Vambay Colony pointed out that the TDP government had charged them Rs 10 per square yard, but there was no progress in the registration process. Similarly, the YSRC government, too, collected Rs 100 per square yard, but failed to register the properties, he said and added that over 1,000 people have paid Rs 4,000 per house at Rs 100 per square yard.
Recently, CPM activists led by State Secretariat member CH Baburao and State Committee member Sridevi organised a padayatra in Vijayawada’s Vambay Colony, advocating for property registrations for the residents.
Speaking to TNIE, Baburao criticised the government and highlighted unfulfilled promises regarding housing registrations for the poor. He said the beneficiaries will stage a 24-hour hunger strike on February 18, emphasising the urgency of housing registrations with the support of CPM.
Responding to the issues, VMC commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar said registration process has been completed and that the documents will be handed over to the beneficiaries at a big programme soon.