BPL houses go vacant

23,000 dwellings almost in ruins, never handed over to beneficiaries

Hyderabad: Nearly 23,000 houses meant for BPL families constructed for urban poor under different government schemes like JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission), Rajiv Gruha Kalpa (RGK) and VAMBAY (Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana) remain unoccupied for about 15 years.

According to official figures 64,300 houses were constructed under JNNURM and RGK scheme during last nine years in Telangana region. Out of them 45,945 houses were occupied while 18,355 were left vacant.

Around 8090 houses are still in construction stage. Meanwhile, under VAMBAY scheme, 3969 houses are still to be handed over to beneficiaries out of 6036 houses; some 2250 houses are under different stages of construction. This means 22324 units (18,355 + 3969) are yet to be handed over to beneficiaries.

The Hans India visited the site of VAMBAY housing in Ammuguda to check the ground reality. The foundation stone, the locals say, was laid in 2001. Though 15 years had passed, it was yet to be fully completed. Close to 500 houses were planned in 14 blocks (G+3) with each housing 40 units.

In all blocks, pillars and roof work was finished while in majority of them the brickwork was also done. In the houses where the works were complete, the doors and windows have been stolen since they were unoccupied.

Some of the poor families who moved into the houses on the ground floor in some blocks say that the living conditions there were miserable.

Around nine members of a family are living in an incomplete house with a small room, which also functions as kitchen and one bathroom,

Auto driver Raraju, his wife Swathi, their children, Raraju’s brother and parents are staying in one house which just has a room and a kitchen.

Basti leader Ramachander and Yadagiri told The Hans India that they had poured out their woes to MLAs like Sayanna, Akula Rajender, Sarvey Satyanarayana besides present MLA Kanaka Reddy and MLC N Ramachander Rao several times but in vain. Anjaneyulu, who is a painter by profession, stated that these ‘match box’ type houses are unfit for families.

The brickwork are of sub-standard quality, so much so that the cement pieces are falling off and even rats are making holes in these walls. What is interesting is that the government which promises a decent two bedroom house with separate individual toilet could remodel all the unoccupied houses and convert them into habitable apartments at low cost.

A construction worker Pandu, who resides in the area, said that all that needs to be done is that the existing walls have to be demolished in all the 14 blocks in Ammuguda. He said by clubbing two units into one, the unit can be converted into a two bedroom flat.

The residents claim that this would cost less than Rs 1.25 lakh per unit and by spending about Rs 5 crore some 250 houses could be transformed into two bedroom houses with modern facilities as promised by the TRS government, they say.

However, officials of Housing Department say that while the suggestion is worth considering, there are many issues that need to be looked into.

These houses were taken up with Central funds and unless the issue is taken up with the Union government by the Chief Minister this proposal cannot be implemented. M Padmanabha Reddy, Secretary for Centre for Good Governance also felt implementation of this proposal is not easy. Those houses are in a bad condition, he added.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) city secretary M Srinivas criticised the government for its big campaign about model housing colony in Bhoiguda, while ignoring nearly 23,000 unoccupied houses in the State capital.

He said it is also surprising that the Governor ESL Narsimhan praised the few two bed room houses constructed by the TRS government while not bothering about the 23000 vacant houses which are in a horrible condition, he said.

By:Mahesh Avadhutha