Housing units under JNNURM to be completed by Dec 2019

Vijayawada: In view of huge demand for housing units in city, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is trying to complete the works relating to 3,136 houses under the JNNURM and allot them to the beneficiaries in six months.

Similarly, the civic body is planning to close down the JNNURM housing project by the end of December 2019. So far, 15,000 houses were completed and allotted to the beneficiaries under the JNNURM during the last 10 years. But, works related to 3,136 houses are still pending for a long time. Now, the VMC is determined to complete the pending works and complete the mission in six months.

The Union Government under the UPA rule launched the JNNURM in 2005 to develop infrastructure facilities in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the country. As part of it, about 25,000 houses were sanctioned to Vijayawada city by the Union government. Out of which, 15,000 houses were completed and allotted to the beneficiaries.

Thousands of people living in the canal bunds and low lying areas were shifted to JNNURM houses built in Jakkampudi Colony, New RR Pet, Gunadala, Vambay Colony and other areas in the city. For the first time in Vijayawada, thousands of houses were built under the Government scheme. State and central governments and VMC contributed funds for construction of houses.

The central government had closed the JNNURM in 2014. But, the VMC continued the pending works related to housing projects with a view to help the BPL families. Construction of houses is the responsibility of state and Central governments. But, previous rulers of the civic body had allocated man power and funds for construction of houses for the BPL families.

Consequently, 15,000 houses were completed and thousands of families were shifted to the G+3 houses. A senior VMC official supervising the JNURM housing projects said 3,136 houses are under construction under the JNNURM and will be completed by November 2019. He said the civic body will hand over the new houses to the beneficiaries by December 2019.

He informed that another 512 houses already completed under the JNNURM will be handed over to the beneficiaries after completing the repairs. The VMC has invited tenders to take up the repairs to 512 houses, which are in bad condition and are unfit for occupation.

Though the NDA government had closed the JNNURM in 2014, the VMC has been continuing the housing projects and allotted funds for it, said Koneru Sridhar, the former mayor of the VMC. He said the civic body had taken loans and been completing the pending works to help the beneficiaries. A total of 3,648 houses sanctioned to the beneficiaries will be allotted to the BPL families by November/ December 2019.