HANAMKONDA: More than 730 flats constructed under the Rajiv Gruhakalpa Housing Scheme at various locations within Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) limits are lying vacant owing to lack of funds.
Though many applicants have deposited Rs 8,250 each to buy the flats under the housing scheme, they haven't yet occupied the flats as construction of some of the houses has been stalled by GWMC authorities owing to lack of funds.
The ambitious housing scheme aims to provide affordable houses to middle-class people. The project was launched in united Andhra Pradesh. The empty houses are turning into a dilapidated state as local anti-social elements are taking advantage of their vacancy and carrying out their illegal activities in the flats.
According to GWMC officials, construction of 1,920 houses has been proposed under the scheme. However, only 1,184 single bedroom flats have been constructed and handed over to the applicants by the Housing Corporation and GWMC authorities.
Construction of the remaining 736 flats has been stalled as funds for the same haven’t been sanctioned by the State government.
After the flats were handed over to GWMC authorities in 2016, the latter inspected them and proposed to complete them at an estimated amount of Rs 10.24 crore, to be drawn from Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) funds.
Later, construction of the flats was assigned to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, who raised the estimated cost of constructing the remaining flats to Rs 22 crore and submitted proposals to the State government for the same, which has still not been approved.
When contacted, Hanumakonda District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu and GWMC Mayor Gundu Sudha Rani were both not available for their comments.