Demonetisation won’t stop Rajiv Swagruha property auction

In a decision, which people describe as insensitive to their problems, the State government has decided to auction 38 Rajiv Swagruha house sites and 88 buildings at Tandur in Viakarabad district.

All arrangements are being made to go ahead with the notified November 30 auction. The government fixed Rs 2,150 as the price per square yard.

It hit upon the idea of auctioning the Rajiv Swagruha sites and buildings to fill its coffers in the light of demonetisation of high-value currency.

The structures were built by the erstwhile Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy government as part of the weaker-section housing programme titled Rajiv Swagruha.

According to Tandur resident Moses, last year, in a similar move, the government auctioned off 35 sites and three buildings built under the programme for a price which was 20 per cent higher than that was quoted by the government.

With the ban on high-value currency, realty business in Tandur collapsed. The locals are apprehensive of people coming forward to invest Rs 1,500 a square yard reeling under the impact of demonetisation.

They are questioning the rationale behind the decision to auction off the sites and structures. According to retired Head Master Bichchappa, the middle classes are bearing the brunt of demonetisation.

The locals and opposition parties are questioning the objective behind State government’s decision at a time when people are reeling under cash liquidity problems.

They allege that the government has been unilaterally taking decisions with no concern for the people’s woes.

“No government or bureaucrat having concern for the people’s woes will ever take such a decision,” they commented.

“At a time when the maximum withdrawal limit from banks is only Rs 24,000 per week, how does the State expect people to pay an earnest money deposit of Rs 1 lakh,” they reasoned.

The locals are raising eyebrows on learning about the auction decision and are incensed at the style of functioning of the bureaucrats.

Rajiv Swagruha officials said that the decision to auction off the sites and structures precedes the demonetisation decision of the Centre.

If the auction prices fetches good price, they will go ahead with the auction; otherwise, they will cancel it and go for fresh auction at a later date.