Foundation for 60,000 Jagananna houses in July in Ongole

Ongole: Housing Minister Ch Ranganatha Raju on Friday said that the Jagananna Colonies will be developed as model towns by providing all necessary infrastructures in them.

The Minister conducted a review meeting on the status of the 'Navaratnalu PedalandarikiIllu' in Prakasam district with the Ministers Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Dr Audimulapu Suresh, collector Pravin Kumar and officials at the Collectorate in Ongole.

Later addressing a press meet, Ranganatha Raju said that the foundation for the 60,000 houses in the district will be laid in the first four days of July in the presence of local MLAs, ministers and officials. He added that the government approved to construct of 24,000 houses on the own land of the beneficiaries while the remaining houses will be constructed in Jagananna Colony layouts. The government will appoint a special officer for every 20 beneficiaries and supply sand, cement and iron for the construction of houses.

He said that the government will also provide underground drainage, electricity and drinking water supply to layouts with more than 500 houses. He added that they would try to complete 60,000 houses by March and will start the construction of around 20,000 houses as soon as the court cases are resolved.

The Minister said that all Jagananna Colonies will be provided with community buildings like Anganwadi centres, schools, trees, road linkage for transport, and other infrastructures to develop each of them as model towns. He said that the housing projects will not only create an asset of nearly Rs 15 lakh to the beneficiaries but will also boost the economy as they create employment for construction workers for a long time.

He said that they are going to construct about 17,000 Jagananna Colonies in the State, and are spending Rs 12,000 crore for land acquisition and Rs 10,000 crore for infrastructure. Housing is a continuous process and any eligible person gets the housing opportunity within 90 days of the submission of application as per the guidelines, the Minister said.