Govt to release dues of housing scheme in AP

Amaravati: The State government announced that it will release at least Rs 500 crore dues related to housing scheme, out of the outstanding pending amount of Rs 840 crore.

The Minister for Housing Ch Sriranganatha Raju said that by the end of the governance of the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the government was supposed to pay about Rs 840 crore to the contractors for constructing houses to the poor, as part of the housing for all.

He informed that the government will settle the dues in a phased manner. Sriranganatha Raju conducted a review meeting with the department officials on Wednesday.

He added that the selection of the beneficiaries in the previous government was done purely based on the party affiliation. But, now, this government will not see the party, caste or religion.

Out of total 175 Assembly Constituencies, 124 ACs are in urban limits and they come under the central government's urban housing scheme. Hence, the state government will discuss with the central government on it and will ensure sufficient housing to all the poor in the urban areas, he added.

The state government will select the beneficiaries through the Village and Ward Volunteers. For identification and further procedures involved in the housing scheme, the government is planning to introduce a dedicated website and a mobile app.

Minister directed the officials to build confidence among beneficiaries on the government in providing housing to all.

As aimed, the state government will provide either housing lands or the constructed houses to all the eligible 25 lakh poor in the state. He asked the officials to identify suitable land as early as possible with the help of local representatives, MLAs.

He announced that if anybody would come voluntarily to provide lands to the government for construction of the houses, then the government will name the area with the donors. He said that, since the land acquisition would be more expensive, this initiative would reduce the burden on the government.