House pattas to encroachers in city

Vijayawada: The State government has planned to give 80,000 house pattas to encroachers in the city. The government move will benefit the hill area people and a part of residents of Krishnalanka. The State government took the decision in this regard two days ago and pattas will be distributed in a few days.

In fact, nearly two lakh people are eagerly waiting for the government's decision on the allotment of house pattas and regularisation of illegal constructions on hill areas since two decades. The people of poorer sections encroached hill areas at several places like Mogulrajapuram, Christurajapuram, Machavaram, Gunadala, Vidyadharapuram, Bhavanipuram and One Town several decades ago.

Majority of them constructed permanent structures and a few of them are living in temporary huts. They have been living on hills from the last several decades and the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation also providing drinking water, roads and street lighting.

But they have no right on their houses or house sites and they are not eligible to get house loan or mortgage their property. In this backdrop, they approached the government for house pattas. The Congress government also gave assurance to them in the past but it could not be materialised.

The Telugu Desam government, too, gave assurance to hill area people three years ago. Minister for Water Resources Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao said that the house pattas would be distributed soon and decision was taken in this regard. Speaking to The Hans India, he said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was keen to give house pattas to poorer sections.

The leaders of Telugu Desam opined that the issue would play an important role in the winning chances of ruling party candidates in the three Assembly constituencies in the forthcoming elections.