TS laxity deprives 2 BHK hopefuls of transit accommodation

Somajiguda: The flagship programme of 2BHK scheme by the Telangana government has gained a new energy in its execution during the election year. The scheme that draws funds from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat and ULBs have been used to indicate the pro-poor agenda of the government. 

According to the proposal sent to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, government of Telangana plans to build 1 lakh houses in the GHMC area in 109 locations. In 41 of these locations houses will be built in-situ and in 68 locations the houses would be built in vacant land. The construction in all the 109 locations are to be completed in 18 months. 

Speaking at the press conference Varghese Thechanath, convener, campaign for Housing and Tenurial Rights, said that though 37.6 per cent projects were planned to be constructed in-situ, the state government did not send the proposal for in-situ slum redevelopment vertical to the central government. This has deprived the slum residents of getting transit accommodation as required by 4.8.7 of housing for all guidelines of the central government. 

The slums have been given possession certificates and then vacated to construct 2BHK houses a year ago. They were promised that they will be given houses within 12 months but even after 13 months the houses are only partly constructed. A survey reveals that only 40 per cent of the people have awareness about the components of the scheme such as credit-linked subsidy scheme and the possibility of beneficiary led construction as spelt out in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana under which the Telangana government is executing the 2BHK scheme.