Ensure high quality in construction: CM YS Jagan

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed officials to ensure high quality in the construction of houses in Jagananna Colonies using the 36 labs which have been established across the State for testing cement, steel and bricks.

The Chief Minister presided over a review meeting on Housing at his camp office on Friday. Owning a house is the dream of the poor and the construction of quality houses would make them happy, he said.

While efforts should be made to provide basic infrastructure like water, electricity and drainage on priority basis in completed layouts, village and ward secretariats should play crucial role in their maintenance, he said.

When the officials told him that construction of houses for 30,000 people has been delayed due to court cases in various districts, he directed the officials to take immediate steps for land acquisition to distribute house sites for them. The officials informed him that they have already selected alternative lands for two layouts in Prakasam and Anantapur districts because of the pending cases in courts.

The Chief Minister also took stock of the construction of TIDCO houses.

He said that the State government has spent Rs 8,734 crore on their construction and providing basic infrastructure in the last three-and-a-half years. He pointed out that the previous TDP regime has spent only Rs 8,015 crore during its five-year rule.

He said that beneficiaries availed Rs 10,339 crore benefit additionally as the government has also given them 300 sq ft houses free of cost after waiving their contribution.

This apart, the government has also provided subsidy worth Rs 482 crore in the contributory payment of beneficiaries for the houses being built in 365 and 430 sq feet area. The government has also spent another Rs 1200 crore by waiving the registration charges, he said.

The total expenditure incurred on TIDCO houses so far has gone up to Rs 20,745 crore, he pointed out.

The Chief Minister further said that the State government was totally spending a whopping Rs 1,05,886.61 crore on construction of houses for the poor including a sum of Rs 32,909 crore spent on provision of basic infrastructure including water, drainage and electricity, Rs 3,117 crore for initiating works and Rs 13,780 crore for supplying free sand and equipment at low cost.

He said 28,554.64 acres of government land worth Rs 7,132.78 crore was distributed to the poor. A sum of Rs 15,364.50 crore has been spent to acquire 25,374.66 acres of land for distribution of house sites.

On the whole, the State government has so far distributed 71,811.49 acres of land worth Rs 56,102.91 crore to the poor. The entire amount spent on construction of houses so far has gone up to Rs 1,05,886.61 crore.

Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh, Municipal Administration Minister Audimulapu Suresh, AP State Housing Corporation Chairman D Dorababu, TIDCO chairman J Prasanna Kumar, Chief Secretary Dr K S Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretaries Y Sri Lakshmi (MA&UD) and Ajay Jain (Housing), Finance Secretary KVV Satyanarayana, Special Secretary (Housing) Mohammad Deewan, APSHC MD G Lakshmi Shah, AP TIDCO MD Ch Sridhar, Mines and Geology Director V G Venkata Reddy, Town Planning Director R J Vidyullata and other officials attended the review meeting.