Tirupati: Finally, their dream is fulfilled

Tirupati: It was like the light at the end of tunnel for the 1,800 beneficiaries of Vikruthamala Housing Colony who received the keys of the houses allotted to them at a glittering function held in the Municipal Corporation office as a token of official handing over of the houses to them.

The construction of houses was taken up near Vikruthamala village, 20 km from the city near the International Airport, by the previous TDP government with the Centre funding under housing for all scheme and had been completed in 2019 following which they were allotted to 1,800 eligible beneficiaries after receiving the beneficiary contribution and through screening of the list of beneficiaries..

But with the change of guard in the State following the general elections in May 2019, the houses were not handed over to the beneficiaries even after the completion of all formalities much to the worry of the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries several times represented to the government and the corporation authorities while the opposition parties also supported their cause and held protests but in vain all these months.

At last, the YSRCP government in December last year agreed to hand over the houses to the beneficiaries as per the list prepared in 2019 much to their delight.

Against the backdrop, the joy of the beneficiaries who are all women as the government made it as a principle to allot the houses to them found no bounds on Tuedsayafter they received the keys of their dream houses.

City MLA B Karunakar Reddy, Tirupati MP M Gurumoorthy, MLC Y Sreeniasulu Reddy, Mayor Dr R Sirisha and a host of officials from the Housing Department and the municipal corporation were present at the function held for the handing over of the houses in the corporation office.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Karunakar Reddy recalling the government's allotment of 26,000 house sites to the poor in the city and the construction of the houses also taken up after the YSRCP government came to power said that the government is committed to provide housing to all. Now, providing shelter is a continuous process for the government and the eligible poor

will get house sites within

90 days after they file the applications, he said.

The Vikruthamala Housing Colony is provided with all facilities including school, community hall, park, internal roads, overhead water tank, drainage etc., the MLA said adding that the total cost of the housing project was Rs 96.16 crore.

Many women who spoke after receiving the keys said that at last their dream has come true while many turned emotional while receiving the key and observed that at last their 10-year long wait bore fruit.

Corporation Commissioner

PS Girisha and others also spoke.